An obnoxious beeping echoed through the room and I fought to wake up. Sleep clung to me, refusing to let go. Cas’ arm was draped around me and my duvet was so warm and comfy. I felt like I had barely gotten any sleep. I needed more. I snuggled deeper under the blanket and let myself drift back to sleep.

Five more minutes, Peg. I thought to her.

She’d wake us up in five more minutes like she normally did when we were tired in the morning.

I tried to go back to sleep but the beeping was still blaring through the room annoyingly. I strained to open my eyes and pushed myself into sitting. It was our alarm. It was still going off.

I stared at the time on the screen above my door. It was five-thirty in the morning. Confusion crossed my mind before I remembered what was happening. We needed to get up and leave before anyone else got up. If we left now we could probably get to Frida before any of the tutors got to the garage.

“Off,” I ordered, my throat dry and scratchy.

Something felt strange. Peggy usually turned our alarm off for us and work us up. It was weird that she hadn’t, she always did. I turned my head to look at the bed beside me where she normally slept. It was empty, the sheets had been thrown back like she’d gotten up to pee or something. I touched the sheet gently. It was cold. She hadn’t been there for a while. I got up as carefully as I could and knocked gently on the bathroom door, unease prickling in me.

The door rose revealing an empty and clearly unused room.

Peggy? I called anxiously.

Urghhh. Gem groaned from the bed and pulled the duvet up over her head.

I waited for Peg’s response but none came. Worry grew heavier in my stomach.

Peggy! I shouted this time.

“What’s going on?” Cas asked hoarsely, sitting up and rubbing a hand through his hair.

My hands were shaking and fear was slowly overcoming as I stared at him.

“Peggy’s gone.”

A look of utter confusion crossed his face.

“What do you mean she’s gone?”

“She’s not here.” I gestured and my voice broke.

Tears threatened my eyes. I already knew.

“So, what? She’s probably showering. Or maybe she wanted to fit in a run before we leave.” Gem said as she sat up and yawned widely.

Peggy! I called as anxiety gripped me by the throat.

“I’m sure it’s fine! Let’s go check her room. I’m sure she’s here somewhere.” Gem said, rolling out of bed and stumbling towards the door.

We followed, rushing into Peggy’s room and banging on the bathroom door.

It was empty. The bathroom was cold. She hadn’t been there.

Gem turned to me, my fear reflecting back in her eyes but I forced myself to squash it down.

“Let’s check the medBay in case something’s happened. Frida too. Maybe she’s just… setting up.”

“But why wouldn’t she respond to us?” Gem whispered.

I didn’t have an answer for her. We rushed out of Peggy’s room and climbed into the nearest hatch. If Peggy were there, she wouldn’t have used the main corridors. I was so hopeful that we would run into her along the way despite knowing deep within my bones that we wouldn’t.

The service corridors were weirdly empty. We’d been up at this time before when we’d had missions and they were always full of bustling ServBots setting up for the day ahead. The canteen started serving at half six so the cooks always sent the Bots to the stores to pick up ingredients at about that time. They shouldn’t have been empty. We should have seen someone or something. I’d switched on my mods but still I didn’t see anything, just people sleeping in their rooms.

We burst out of the hatch closest to the medBay and ran to the door. I fidgeted anxiously as Cas hacked the panel to open the doors.

There was no one inside. Not even Doctor Micros was there. I mean, we knew he wouldn’t be, he hadn’t answered the call yesterday but there was always someone in there. The machinery hummed quietly as we backed out of the room.

Now, what? Gem asked, fearfully.

Frida next. I answered as we rushed back into the corridors and sprinted towards the garage.

Panic made my heart pound in my chest. They couldn’t have got Peggy. We were all there. Why would they have taken her but left the rest of us? Why did they take Peggy first? They should have taken me. I am the Captain of this crew, I made the decisions, I deserve the punishments.

Peggy! Gem screamed as we rushed into the darkened garage and towards Frida.

All of her lights were off but Peggy still could have been inside.

She wasn’t.

We charged through Frida’s doors but she was empty. She looked exactly as she had when Cas and I had left her after our last lesson. Peggy hadn’t been there. There was nowhere else she could be.

They’d taken her.

I collapsed on the seat and dropped my head to my hands, shame rushing through me as I realised I had failed to protect her. I should have done more. Gem’s quiet sobs filled the space and I looked up to see heartbreak evident on my crews’ faces. We’d all come to the same conclusion. Peggy was gone. There was nothing we could do.

A hint of hope shot through me.

“Cas! Do you have any messages? Like a ransom or anything?”

Maybe it had been his dad. Maybe, there’d be a way to get her back.

I watched apprehensively as Cas scrolled through his wrist monitor, his eyes darting back and forth as he read it. His eyebrows slowly came together.

“What?” I asked reluctantly.

“There’s no message but… there’s another countdown.”

No. I’m sorry. I don’t think I can write this. I’m sorry.