000805 -- In OTTO's clutches ============================ AUTHOR: dsweet ORIGINAL TITLE: 000729 -- Red Prison -- part I COMPOSED: 8/31/00 UPDATED: 10/9/00 STORY: The will-be-heroes wake up in a cell. The cell is illuminated from above but besides that the walls and floor are identicle to the ceiling. The prisoners confer among themselves and look for an exit. The most they find is that one wall seems hollow behind it. The only conclusion the group can come to is that the opposition (Diversified Interests) must be their hosts. Since some of them pressed the return button on the device Lumiere handed them, the rest of their group must be on the space station before they blanked out and woke up here. Eventually, the hollow portion of the wall opens up and eight armored guards appear. They instruct the prisoners to follow. Four guards go ahead of the prisoners and four follow. They are led down a twisting hallway with no apparent doorways or other hallways. They conclude there is no other route. Eventually they come to an enterway and they all pass into a neo-victorian office. Behind a large darkly stained wooden desk is seated a physically impressive military man. He is the man who ordered Lumiere to go on her mission to contact the will-be-heroes. He informs them that by torturing their cohorts he has discovered that they indeed work for Other Worlds Travel and as such they represent a threat to the one true timeline organization (OTTO). It is clear from the results of the torture that although the will-be-heroes are time agents they know little about the OWT. Since no more torture is needed the group that is in the office will be release immediately into their work release prison. There is some question and answer period that I don't remember. The group is lead back out into the hallway via the same enterway that they entered the office through. They take another serpentine route. Still there is no doorways or other hallways but the group does not follow the same path as before. After a few minutes another opening appears. On the otherside of the opening is Lumiere. As the last member of the group enters the opening into a dark valley Lumiere hands two small flat but rounded object to the Scorpion. She whispers "sorry". When the Scorpion enters the valley the hallway disappers and a rock face replaces it. The rest of group is laying about them either unconscious or sleeping. They all look to be in bad shape due to the aforementioned torture. They spend what they believe is the night where they lay. From where they are they can see that they are in a valley about twelve miles across. The valley stretches to the right and left beyond their line of sight. The mountains reach miles into the sky. One would believe such mountains could not exist. The mountains are unimaginably tall and steep. Mountains stretch from the valley floor to the sky in a logarithmic manner. Above the mountains is a roiling mass of red clouds. As a result, what little light there is, is red. Occasionally one can see a break in the clouds and an illuminated red sphere is exposed. The temperature is uncomfortably cold but since the will-be-heroes are wearing Star Trek uniforms they do alright. The moist air stinks of decay. Tens of hours pass and there is no change in the amount of light in the vally. Apparently the valley is in a state of perpetual night. Those not seriously injured hunt. They find plenty of game. There is an abundance of water as well. Therefore, thirst and hunger are eliminated from the groups potential enemies in the valley. When everyone can walk the group heads towards the valley floor.