It's hull, once the same proud and gleaming white of Nexus, was now blackened most of the way around. The choice was obvious: head for the relay station. That was what made Slash hesitate. If this was what Garret Vance wanted, it couldn't be good.

Slash looked out at the solemn green mothership. On the other hand, it was hard for him to imagine how it could be worse than what would happen if he entered the green ship, at least for him.

The shuttle received a hail from the ansible relay station. Slash opened the channel.

"This is ansible relay hailing Nexus shuttle. Come in Nexus shuttle."

Slash hesitated a moment, but decided to respond.

"This is Nexus shuttle. Good to have you back, ansible station."

"Vic? Is that you?" Slash realized that it was Alex's voice. Slash wasn't even sure he saw this universe as his home anymore. But for Alex, Victor was still Victor. Slash wanted to head for the green ship, leave, anything. He sure as hell didn't want to see his best friend turn his back on him. Because despite everything, despite feeling alone and betrayed, despite the fire in his belly, Alex Normstrom was still his best friend and totally innocent.

"Yeah, it's me," Slash said resignedly. It was technically true. There was a chorus of celebrations at his answer.

When Slash stepped off of the shuttle into the relay station, it looked much different than he remembered. Wires hung everywhere and a burning smell lingered in the air. When the entrance to the station proper opened three figures approached.

That was when he first realized that time had not stood still for Alex. He too had been through hard times. He looked worn, tired, and gaunt, presumably from a lack of food and water. And the smell of the three boys was... less than pleasant. Yet still his wry smile remained underneath it all.

"Good to see you again, old friend," Alex said. "Wasn't sure I ever would. I've got so many questions."

So did Slash.

"Would that we had the time," Vora Veer commented wryly. "Wish we could stay and talk more."

Mac nodded, but was smiling from ear to ear, too. "That's right. I don't suppose you know anything about that giant green monstrosity outside our window, do you?"

Slash had begun to accept that, for the rest of his life in this universe he would be, well, Slash. But here, with people looking to him and trusting him, accepting that he was himself, he felt like Victor, again. Maybe he could wait a little longer before telling them about all that had happened. There were more important matters now, anyway.

"Right. Long story short, we need to get the hell out of here," Slash said. "Those green ships don't mean well."

"I knew there was something fishy when they didn't respond to our comms," Vora said.

Mac shook his head. "But you were heading right for it, Victor," Mac said.

Slash shook his head. "Like I said, long story."

Without waiting another moment Slash led the way to the ansible relay station control panel. The visor was up, and in the bigger window the green mothership looked even more enormous than it had in the shuttle.

"Victor, there's a problem," Alex said, pursing his lips. "It's the reason we didn't jump as soon as you docked."

"Oh?" he said, reaching the controls and realizing that either of the three of them would know them much better than he.

The ansible station was struck with a sudden shaking that brought all four boys to the ground. Alerts began to go off on the main console as red lights blinked on and off.

"Damn. Tractor beam. Guess we should be grateful that they want us," Vora said.

No, not you. Me, Victor thought. There was a small chance that if he got back in his shuttle and headed for the green ship of his own accord, they would let the ansible station go. But it was small, a last resort option.

"Can we make the jump or not?" Slash asked impatiently.

"Yes!" Mac said, "But for reasons we don't have time to go into it could force a full reset of the ansible station."

"What does that mean?" Slash asked. They were all grabbing hold of the console or nearby chairs in order to stay grounded as the pull of the mothership increased in force.

"It means that all students who've been put in the box will automatically be woken," Alex said. Students, they still thought of themselves as students. But so much had happened and their danger was so immanent, that what the boys were saying had not sunk in.

"So what? Do it!" Slash said.

"There might be some people who would not be very happy about being put in the box, Vic," Mac said in a calm voice through clenched teeth.

Victor looked toward the wall of frozen chambers. It seemed like a problem from so long ago, a small one at that.

"Dixon?" Slash said, raising an eyebrow and almost laughing.

The boys all exchanged a glance. Somehow, even though they were facing unknown alien terror, that boy still held a certain fear for them. Of course, they had all been trapped with his frozen body for weeks. It had to have made the terror of Dixon all the more difficult to forget. If he had been unfrozen by some accident while they slept, for example....

"Don't you worry about him," Slash said, smiling. "Just do what you have to."

"Victor. Are you sure?" Alex asked. Slash nodded, trying not to let his bloodlust show too much. Dixon was a joke, and he was about to get his punchline.

He thought he was capable of terror, but while he had been sleeping Slash had been already killed people. If he pulled anything, absolutely anything fishy, then Dixon would have to learn the hard way that Victor was no longer here.

There was only Slash. And Slash was into permanent solutions.