Melissa awoke, slowly and groggily. She looked around. It was dark. Where was she? Suddenly, it all came back to her and she leapt into action. She checked her pockets, Eric’s ID was still there. She didn’t know if she had woken up before him or not, but this was still the only chance she would have. She had to be quick.

Melissa scurried along the pavement as fast as she could, keeping in the shadows and out of sight as much as possible. She was fairly sure that she could remember the way. Fortunately, Eric didn’t like to walk far so it wasn’t long before she turned the corner and was greeted with the imposing but welcome sight of the Tower of Power, stretching into the stratosphere above. She drew a deep breath, composed herself, and walked in.

She stopped just inside the doors and evaluated the situation. The door she had exited the prison from was in the far corner. She could sneak all around the edge of the reception area, swipe Eric’s card, and she would be through the first security barrier. Within minutes she had done that and was loitering behind a pillar in the next lobby. This would be trickier. By the gates in the corner sat the prison guards, watching everyone that went in and out. Her best chance would be to tailgate someone, of that she was sure. That way, even if she was spotted they might just think she was being returned to prison and would ask no questions. Getting out would be a different matter, but she’d worry about that if she got the opportunity.

Night-time was a quiet time for prison traffic, so it took quite a while before a group of people came along that she could try and mingle in with. When they did, she jumped silently out behind them, and followed them closely. She got through the barrier easily and without comment.

Melissa dropped away from her decoy. The next door was just a swipe card, and she was in! The cell that Rosemary and Officer Howler were in was just a few doors down on the left.

“Melissa!” Rosemary exclaimed as she opened the door and stepped inside. “Are you ok? Did he do anything to you?”

“I’m fine, honestly. Stop fussing! He just got drunk and passed out. Now listen to me!”

Melissa quickly explained all the information that Eric had given to her. Of special note was a room which generates the energy that powers all of the technology that the Crawklings had. The lights in their houses, the cars on the road and the spaceships in the air. Rosemary and Officer Howler sat up straight when they heard this, recognising its importance. This room could be the key to them winning the war, and if any one of them got out of this prison she wanted them to be able to share it. She finished her whispered instructions, and geared them for action.

“Anyway, that’s enough for now. I have his key-card but we need to go immediately!”

Melissa opened the door and they left the cell. They had only made it halfway down the corridor before they heard a familiar voice.

“It’s Eric!” hissed Melissa. “Quick, in here!” She swiped the key card on the panel next to the nearest cell, they jumped inside, and pressed themselves against the door so that they couldn’t be seen through the window.

It was only then that they saw the occupants.

Facing them, were a couple of drooling Crawklings. Now, a drooling Crackling wasn’t an unusual sight, however previous Crawklings had been drooling in a natural, I have too much saliva and am kind of kooky, sort of way. These two were drooling in a bloodthirsty, calculated, I want to eat you, sort of way.

Melissa was quick. “If you hide us, we will set you free. This is Eric Smythe’s ID Card, it will get us all the way out the building.”

The two Crawklings looked at each other in a way that could only be likened to eyeballing. Then, suddenly, their faces softened and one of them spoke.

“OK. We can help.”

Rosemary sighed. “Oh thank you!” but before she had even finished the Crawklings started bellowing at the top of their voices. That was when the three of them stopped looking at their Crawkling companions, and noticed the bank of screens on the walls, and images of all the people in the cells along the corridor.”

“Oh, shit,” said Officer Howler. “We walked into the guard’s room.”