To Steal a Spacesuit

[rufusluciusivan]

Alas... Such is the fate of an extra...

[esercito sconfitto]

indeed


poor Ashley, one of the countless victims of the war fought by USB protagonists against uniformed female extra's...


mr. Tirepanted, thanks for resuming this novel ( or better to say, war bulletin)!

[tirepanted3]

"T-minus 10... 9... 8..."

Bobbi approached Dr. Chen, holding a Styrofoam cup. "Your coffee, ma'am."

Dr. Chen waved her away. "Stupid girl, hush up!" She kept her eyes focused on the monitor as the plane's engines heated up.

"3... 2... 1... ignition."

There was a loud flare, and the space-plane took off.

There were cheers in the control room. Everyone smiled as they watched the flight cruise across the sky. Within moments, it had disappeared into the distance.

Dr. Chen kept watch on the radar screen, an evil glint in her eyes. It would only be a matter of moments until the ship exploded.

She waited... waited... any moment now...

Any moment...

"Er... ma'am?" one of the radar girls spoke up. "I think there's a problem."

Dr. Chen looked up. "Problem? What is it?"

The girl pointed. "The... the ship is maintaining its trajectory, but it's flying at a low altitude. It's not close to leaving the atmosphere."

"Well!" Chen snapped. "Can't you fix it?"

"I... I can't ma'am?" the girl said. "Someone on board has overridden the base controls... The ship is piloting a new course."

Dr. Chen grabbed a nearby headset. "Base to rocket... Base to rocket... Do you read? What is going on?"

No response. Dr. Chen could feel her anger rising.

"The ship has cut off communication on all channels," the radar girl said, shaken. "I think... it's been hijacked."

Dr. Chen threw down the headset in anger. "No... no! This can't be happening!" She glared at the girl, who shrank back. "Keep trying to reach it! You!" She pointed to another worker. "Call security... get them to put the whole facility on lockdown! No one gets out of here until we figure out what's going on!"

She stormed out of the control room, very nearly bumping into a returning Bobbi.

Bobbi took a step back. "Your... coffee, ma'am?"

"Coffee? Who cares about coffee?" Dr. Chen snapped. "My rocket's been stolen!"

Bobbi watched her head off down the hallway. "...Stolen?"

***************

"Sorry, ladies," the guard at the gate said. "No one may leave the premises."

The driver of the maintenance van looked at the guard crossly. "But... we are just maintenance crew. We make no problems. We do work, go home."

The guard shook her head. "Nothing I can do. Might as well head back to the parking lot and wait for further announcements. More details should come up soon."

The driver glared at the guard, but - not wanting to cause any unwanted trouble - rolled up the window and turned the van around.

"What shall we do, Karima?" one of her disguised henchwomen said from the back of the van.

"We will think of something," the driver said. "For now, just keep a low profile."

As she parked the van in a corner of the lot, a woman came running up to them.

"Oh, wonderful! I was afraid you'd left!" Dr. Chen said.

Karima stepped out of the van. "What is the problem, Doctor?" she said. "We planted the bomb on the plane. Now we must leave."

Dr. Chen raised a finger to her lips. "Lower your voice, stupid girl. Someone could hear?"

"We want to leave," Karima repeated.

Dr. Chen sighed. "Unfortunately, there's been... a complication."

Karima raised her eyebrow.

"The plane... it's been stolen. It's flying at a low altitude, not high enough to set off the bomb. We don't know where it's headed, and we can't track it - it's literally under the radar."

Karima shrugged. "Not our problem. Anyway..."

"Wait!" Dr. Chen continued. "You ladies... you can track the bomb, can't you? You have a remote beacon, correct?"

Karima nodded. "Yes. But we're not going to stick around here and get caught using it."

"You won't be here," Chen continued. "I want you to go out and find the plane. Track it down and destroy it. And kill the crew."

Karima stared at her. "You're crazy."

"Please," Chen said. "I'll pay you extra. Fifty thousand dollars each."

Karima paused. She considered. "A hundred thousand. Each."

"Deal," Chen said immediately. She actually had no plans to pay any of the women an extra penny. But she'd deal with that problem later.

"All right," Karima said. "We'll find your plane. Except... how can we get out of here when the place is on lockdown?"

"I'll radio a shuttle-bus to transport you ladies off the premises. It'll take you to the airport. After that, you're on your own."

Karima nodded. "All right. Give us twenty minutes to configure the beacon and draft a plan. Then we'll be off."

After exchanging a handshake with the woman, Dr. Chen headed off. Karima climbed back into the van to speak with her four henchwomen.

"Okay, listen up, girls," she said. "The job's not over yet."

The other women groaned. But Karima silenced them.

"Don't worry, don't worry... Chen is paying us extra."

"But we have to do more work!" one of the girls said. "Chen is awful."

Karima grinned. "Fear not, my dear," she said. "Once she pays us, we will... take care of her."

So saying, she drew a long fingernail across her throat. Her henchwomen grinned.

Dr. Chen exited the parking lot, walking past a parked car. Bobbi poked her head out from behind it, where she had been sitting and listening to the whole conversation. The space-plane... stolen? But... Felicia... Bridget... And did she say they were going to... kill the crew?

Her mind raced as she tried coming up with a plan.

*******************

The white shuttle-bus stood parked in a quiet corner of the station. The driver, a uniformed redhead in her early thirties, sat up front, idly scrolling through her phone.

Bobbi approached the bus with trepidation. She knew what she had to do... but that didn't mean she had to like it.

She tapped on the bus door. The driver looked up.

Bobbi waved and motioned for her to open the door. The driver smiled and obliged.

"Hi, there. Can I help you?" the driver greeted the lab-coated girl as she stepped onto the bus.

"Er... yes..." Bobbi said. "May I... may I borrow your phone? My battery died."

"Of course," the driver said. "Here you go, sweetie."

She handed over her phone. Bobbi bit her lip as she took it. The driver was being very nice... which wasn't making this any easier.

Bobbi held up the phone, then suddenly dropped it. "Oh, no! I'm sorry... I'm such a klutz..."

The driver laughed. "I do that all the time, hon. Don't worry. Protective casing." She leaned down to pick it up, exposing the back of her neck.

Bobbi hesitated but a moment. Then she shut her eyes and dealt a swift blow to the base of the driver's neck. With an "Uhnnn," the driver slumped forward and fell to the floor. She hit her head and was out cold.

"Oh, man... I am so... so sorry," Bobbi said as she shut the bus door for some privacy. "I swear this isn't personal... I just really need your bus... and uniform."

Stripping the woman was at first difficult, as Bobbi's hands were shaking. Nevertheless, she forced herself to calm down as she removed the driver's blue jacket, white shirt, black boots, and blue skirt.

Once the driver was down to her pink bra and panties, Bobbi did a quick search of the glove compartment. She found a pair of sunglasses and a roll of silver duct tape. She taped up the driver hand and foot, winding some extra tape around her upper thighs to be safe. She smoothed a final piece of tape over the woman's lips.

The shuttle bus had a large rear compartment, complete with a small hatch. Through this hatch Bobbi pushed her victim, locking her inside.

She then took a deep breath and headed back to the front of the bus - and the driver's uniform.

She dressed quickly, knowing that her passengers could arrive at any minute. The uniform fit pretty well, although the boots pinched her feet. She ignored the pain and donned the sunglasses, effectively masking her face.

Hardly had she given herself a once-over in the rearview mirror when she heard voices. Turning, she saw five Arab women approaching - four dressed as maintenance workers, one as a security guard.

Bobbi forced herself to stay calm as these women - the would-be bombers - boarded the vehicle.

"The airport, driver," the leader ordered. "And make it quick. We have a plane to catch."

Bobbi nodded, but didn't say a word. She started the engine.

Karima took a seat near the back of the bus, motioning to her henchwomen to do likewise. They began speaking to each other in Arabic.

Bobbi tried to listen in on the conversation as she drove out of the space station. Although she was not fluent in the language, she had learned enough of it in her college courses to catch a few words hear and there. The word "stewardess" kept coming up... Bobbi could easily figure out why.

[rufusluciusivan]

Nice scene with Bobbi. I'd say that I like the idea of someone being forced to reluctantly steal the uniform of someone else "for the greater good".

Also, nice work with your antagonists. They carry an air of menace that makes them a credible threat (Let's just hope for these stewardesses that Karima will continue to subdue people non-lethally though...). And I love the detail that they each plan to betray each other. Adding even more conflicting agendas that rise up the suspense. I'd like to say that Dr Chen is despicable, but in a good way. It makes me really look forward for her eventual comeuppance.

Another detail that I like in this story (and in the others) is your use of the "Spanner in the Works" trope. I love how the most carefully laid plans can be completely unravelled by just one person (such as with Lana or, probably, with Bobbi). It leads to nice twists and, again, rise up the suspense.

[tirepanted3]

Glad you like the villains of the story. It's important to me that all the characters, even the more evil and malicious ones, have some level of characterization to them. Dr. Chen is not a good person, but she has a clear motivation. Ditto Karima's team, even if their motivation is largely money-based. It's fun to see how there characters play off each other, and the different ways they go about obtaining new clothes.

And I think the stewardesses will be safe. Karima has no problem killing people from afar (i.e. a bomb on the space-plane), but she would probably object to doing it directly, particularly if she isn't getting paid for their deaths.

[tirepanted3]

Felicia awoke, groggily. What the hell had happened? She'd been on a plane... no, a spaceship... Where was she now?

As her brain came into focus, she noticed a cool breeze wafting over her. She'd been stripped down to her underwear. What's more, she was now lying on her back, strapped down to a cold metal table, her wrists and ankles tied to either side. She strained against the bonds, but it was no use.

With difficulty, she craned her neck and looked around. The room she now found herself in was dimly lit; still, she could make out some laboratory equipment nearby. What was happening?

From behind her, she heard footsteps approaching. Felicia was about to call out, but something - fear, perhaps - persuaded her to keep silent.

A tall woman strode into view, dressed from head to toe in a skintight red outfit. Her hair was covered by a tight red hood, and dark-tinted goggled covered her eyes. She was carrying a clipboard, and writing something down on it.

She finished and looked at Felicia. "Ah, excellent." She raised her wrist to her lips and spoke. "Dr. Petrella? Subject 2 is awake."

Subject 2? Felicia scowled. "What the hell is going on? Who are you?"

The red-clad woman looked her over. "Caucasian girl, early twenties. Five-eight, blonde hair, flat chest."

Flat chest? Now Felicia was angry. "Hey, you! What's going on? Answer me, you stupid bitch!"

The woman jotted a few more things down on the clipboard. "Subject 2 exhibits signs of anger and grogginess. Sedative approved."

"Sedative? I don't need a sedative. I need to know where my friend is! What have you done with Bridget?"

The woman produced a syringe from her belt and filled it with a clear liquid.

"Don't you touch me with that thing! I swear you'll be sorry! Let me go, or - "

The woman grabbed Felicia's arm and held tight. She stuck the needle into Felicia's elbow and squeezed the plunger.

"No! No... You can't... do this....... to meeeee....."

The world spun around Felicia again, and everything went dark.

***************

The shuttle-bus pulled up to the airport delivery entrance, just as Karima had instructed. With most of its occupants dressed as maintenance workers, it was easy to fool the guard into letting them through.

The five Arab women exited the bus, not even bothering to thank Bobbi for the trip. They were busy talking and laughing with one another in their native tongue.

Bobbi wondered how long she should wait before following them.

Once the Arab women had made their way in through the delivery entrance of the terminal, Karima consulted the signs. "Employee Lounge" was in the facility's eastern wing. With a smile, she motioned for her associates to follow her.

The lounge was located some distance away from the airport's busier terminals, likely to allow flight attendants more peace and quiet while resting up between flights. At this moment, two attendants were relaxing on one of the lounge's comfortable couches while waiting to for their next flight. They were dressed in the standard-issue uniform of blue jacket over white shirt, blue pencil skirt, red scarf, and blue pillbox hat. The women were chatting with one another - Audrey had just broken up with her boyfriend, and Gerta was convincing her she'd made the right decision.

There was a knock at the door, and both girls were about to make a very wrong decision.

"I'll get it," the brunette Gerta said, preparing to stand up.

"No, stay here," the blonde Audrey said, wiping away her tears with a smile. "I can do it." She got to her feet. "I can do anything."

Gerta smiled. "I'm proud of you, honey."

Audrey walked confidently to the door and opened it. "Yes? How can I help you?"

A tall woman in a security guard uniform stood there. "What flight are you girls headed to next?"

Audrey noticed that the woman's uniform was not of the airport - in fact, it had a "NASA" logo above its right breast pocket. Still, this woman was obviously an authority figure.

"My friend and I are on Flight 76 to Dallas," she said. "I wasn't sure I'd have the strength to go - my boyfriend and I just broke up. But I think I..."

Four women in maintenance uniforms stepped up behind the guard. "Dallas... perfect," one of them said. "Allah smiles upon us tonight."

Audrey stared at the women oddly. "What... who are you all?"

The woman who had just spoke drew a gun. "Your replacements. Make a sound and you die."

Shocked, Audrey took a step back. The gunwoman, followed by the others, herded into the room.

Greta spoke. "What's going - ?" She stopped when the other women drew guns, with some pointing them at her.

"We need absolute cooperation, ladies," Karima said. "Remove your uniforms at once."

The two women were frightened, but saw no real options available. Resigned, they began unbuttoning their jackets.

Karima interrogated the girls as they kicked off their heels and shimmied out of their skirts. She learned that there were four other flight attendants chartered to the Texas flight - three friends of Greta and Audrey, one newcomer. Karima ordered Audrey to text the three friends and ask them to come to the lounge. Now down to her underwear, the girl was forced to comply.

The rest was standard and routine. One by one, the other flight attendants arrived at the lounge like lambs to the slaughter. The first to arrive was a black woman named Peggy. She gasped at the sight upon entering - two of her friends, stripped down to their underwear, sitting bound and gagged on the couch. Then a gun was put to her head and she was ordered to strip.

Arriving shortly after was the redheaded Becky and the dark-haired Rhonda. They, too, were easy prey for Karima's team.

Soon, five underwear-clad women sat bound and gagged in the lounge closet, while five other women dressed in their uniforms.

"What about the sixth flight attendant?" one of Karima's henchwomen asked her.

"Ignore her," Karima said. "The other girls say they don't know her very well - this is her first flight. She probably won't recognize the substitutions." She finished buttoning her uniform and straightened her pillbox hat above her newly-arranged hairbun. "All right, ladies, let's move out."

***********

Jaclyn walked nonchalantly to the airport restroom. Her flight would be leaving soon, and the young stewardess wanted to be all freshened up. It was, after all, her first flight, and she did not want to appear unprofessional.

As she passed by a disused storeroom, two hands shot out and pulled her inside. A few quick punches were muffled by the thick walls.

"Lord, I am so, so sorry," Bobbi said as she began stripping the unconscious Jaclyn of her uniform. "I know that doesn't excuse this behavior, but I truly wish there were another way."

The uniform was a good fit. Some old washrags and duct tape secured poor Jaclyn. And Bobbi was on her way.

************

Bridget stirred, and slowly came to. She was a bit woozy, but it would not take long to shake off the effects. She breathed slowly yet fully, letting her lungs saturate with oxygen.

She was strapped to a table. This was self-evident. Also self-evident was that her clothes, except her underwear, had been removed. She was in a dimly lit room, the only other furniture in which seemed to be a large desk upon which rested a variety of medical implements.

A lesser woman may have panicked, but Bridget had been in similar situations before. She stayed calm and collected her thoughts.

She had been kidnapped, clearly. By Alice Williams (or, perhaps, an impostor posing as her). The "why" was unclear. But she would figure it out in time. First priority was escape.

Whoever had fastened her wrist-bindings had not accounted for the fact that Bridget was double-jointed. Further, the leather strap on her right wrist was a bit worn out. Thus, she reasoned, it would only be the work of a few minutes to free herself.

Footsteps approached from the outer hallway. Bridget shut her eyes and lolled her head to one side.

The door opened. Bridget could hear footsteps. Judging by the sounds, it was probably a woman.

Moments later, she could feel a presence standing before her. The voice, clearly female, spoke. "Subject 1 is still unconscious."

The woman turned her back on Bridget and headed for the desk. Bridget opened her eyes a sliver and saw that her visitor was clad in a form-fitting red jumpsuit.

Bridget moved her right wrist back and forth, trying to dislodge it. She could feel a bit of slack already.

She stopped moving as the red-suited woman turned around. "African-American female, early thirties. Five-nine, black hair, slight excess waistline."

'Oh, you'll pay for that,' thought Bridget, who remained motionless.

She heard sounds of the woman writing on a clipboard. "Request permission to run a few tests... ensure that Subject 1 is fit and firm." She turned her back once more.

'I'll show you fit and firm,' Bridget thought to herself. Her right arm was almost free.

The woman was preparing a sedative. "Subject will remain unconscious for another six to eight hours. Updates will continue apace." She lowered her wrist and approached Bridget.

In the dim lighting, even with her goggles, the female doctor was caught off-guard. Bridget's arm whipped about her throat with lightning speed and applied a viselike chokehold.

The woman gasped and struggled against Bridget's grip, but the determined reporter held on tight. The doctor's red boots scuffled helplessly against the floor; her arms dropped the clipboard and syringe and started flailing... but the outcome was inevitable. Within thirty seconds, she was unconscious.

Bridget procured a sharp scalpel from the doctor's belt before dropping the sleeping woman to the floor. She used the small implement to free her other wrist, then unfastened the bindings on her ankles. She got to her feet and stretched. It was good to be free again.

Still, her freedom would be short-lived unless she could find away to escape this nutty underground laboratory. She certainly couldn't wander around in her underwear. Bridget eyed the unconscious woman and noted with some satisfaction that they were roughly the same size.

It was the work of a few minutes to strip the doctor of her red jumpsuit and boots, leaving the blonde in her adorable pink bra and panties, and only a few more minutes for Bridget to don the clothes herself. She strapped the slumbering doctor to the metal table, limbs outstretched and wrists and ankles secured, and fastened a cloth gag over her mouth.

Bridget stretched the hood over her hair and placed the goggles over her eyes. They would hide her identity; however, Bridget could do little to disguise her height or skin color. Still, she reasoned, there must be other uniforms like this in the facility; she'd simply blend in. The clipboard would probably help - nobody paid attention to you if you were carrying a clipboard.

Bridget reached the door of her confinement room and blew a kiss to the doctor. Then she exited and locked the door with the woman's keys. It was time to get back in the game.

[rufusluciusivan]

And another mystery has popped up. I'm curious to see where this will be going. I guess the climax is nearing now...

It's a detail, but I love Bridget's remark about the clipboard (or about the doctor's comment on her waistline).

[tirepanted3]

Yes, we are nearing the climax, although there are a few more developments to maneuver into place before we get there. Haven't written the last few chapters yet, but I have a pretty good idea of how to bring everything together.

I love the use of clipboards or other accessories during infiltration/escape missions. Obviously, the clothes are the most fundamental part of the disguise, but there are other ways to help a woman blend in.

[esercito sconfitto]

it's a frantic FEST for uniform stealers!

[tirepanted3]

Bridget moved quietly through the large facility. And it was indeed large - perhaps bigger than the NASA base she'd just infiltrated. Judging by the lack of windows, she figured they were underground. And the accents she overheard some other scientists use told her she was probably somewhere in Texas.

One question remained, though - where was Felicia?

Two other women, dressed in similar uniforms as her's, passed by. Their conversaton made her ears perk up. "...so glad Lana stole that space-plane. Can you imagine all the things we can do with it?"

"It's amazing," her friend agreed. "I don't see why we have to hold those two astronauts here, though. Aren't they a security liability?"

"We need a few people who know how the plane works - just in case there are any unforeseen circumstances," the first woman said. "And don't worry, they won't get free anytime soon."

Bridget suppressed a chuckle as she discreetly followed the two women down the corridor.

"Have we learned anything from them yet?"

"Well, they're both still asleep, apparently. I just checked up on the white one; she's napping peacefully in Room 308. The black one should be right down this hall..."

Uh-oh, thought Bridget.

The two scientists stopped by the door to the room she'd just escaped from.

"She's probably still sleeping... You know, her people can nap for hours."

They both laughed.

Bridget clenched her fists. She was going to enjoy this.

The scientists unlocked the door and stepped into the room. "She should be on the table... Say... This isn't her..."

"Bravo, Sherlock," came a voice from the entrance. Bridget shut the door behind her.

The fight was quick and one-sided. The scientists had clearly not been trained in judo, and Bridget took them out easily.

After undressing them and tearing their uniforms into strips, she bound them tightly to the table legs and gagged them.

"Three down," she murmured, exiting the room. "Who knows how many more to go."

She headed to the elevator - and, hopefully, to Felicia.

****************

Dr. Chen strode through the quiet corridor, high heels clicking furiously on the tile floor. She was placing a lot of faith in Karima and her girls. If they failed - if the rocket survived, and the astronauts with it - her plans of usurping Dr. Grace as the head of the NASA space program would be effectively shot. Grace would be hailed as a celebrity for building the famously stolen rocket-plane - the one that survived to fly another day!

Chen found herself bristling at the thought. Karima and her girls were professionals.They'd get the job done. And she'd be goddamned if Dr. Grace would be a hero after all this.

"There you are!"

Dr. Chen turned around. Speak of the devil...

Dr. Grace hurried up to her. "Julia! Honey, I've been looking all over for you. Can you believe what's happening?"

She embraced her coworker in a tight hug. Dr. Chen could smell her perfume. What self-respecting scientist used Coco?

Dr. Grace sighed as she stepped back. "I'm sorry... I must seem like a mess. I was crying in the bathroom for a bit. Four years of my life spent working on the space-plane, and it gets stolen right under our nose on its maiden voyage. How? Why? Who would do such a thing?"

Dr. Chen decided to have a bit of fun with her rival's emotions. "Maybe Williams wanted the plane for herself."

Dr. Grace's eyes widened. "Alice? No. I've known her over ten years... She would never do something like this... would she?"

Dr. Chen shrugged. "She was in charge of the mission. She was piloting the plane."

Dr. Grace bit her lip. "Do you suppose... do you suppose she was a spy? Working for the Russians or something?" She turned towards the west corridor. "We should check her room."

Dr. Chen followed Dr. Grace down the hall. She had to admit - it was fun seeing her rival grasp desperately at straws.

Dr. Grace turned to look at her coworker. "Y'know... I'm so glad I can talk to someone about all this. You always listen, you never complain." She smiled. "You're a true friend, Julia."

Dr. Chen grinned back in response. She'd spent years pretending to respect the bespectacled blonde; clearly, the work was paying off. Now, if there were only some way she could secure a promotion.

The two women reached Alice Williams' room. The door was locked, but Dr. Grace always carried a master key.

The room was dark, and Dr. Grace fumbled for the light. Upon turning it on, her eyes widened - furniture was overturned, clothes strewn about. A security guard uniform lay in a pile on the floor.

"It... it looks like there was a struggle," Dr. Grace said. "But... who would be fighting in here? Alice was alone..."

A muffled, moaning sound made the ears of both women perk up. The noise was coming from the closet.

Dr. Grace walked over to the closet's oak door and swung it open. She and Dr. Chen gasped.

Seated on the floor of the closet, legs bent and chin resting on her knees, was Dr. Alice Williams. She was tied strictly with rope around her limbs, and her mouth was gagged with a thick cloth. She was also, it appeared, quite naked.

Dr. Grace bent and carefully removed the gag from her mouth. "Alice?... What... what happened?"

Dr. Williams coughed, trying to regain her breath. "It was... it was a woman. A security guard. She attacked me... beat me up... took my clothes. I've been stuck in here for lord knows how long..."

Grace and Chen exchanged a look. Then Grace returned to Dr. Williams. "Oh, thank heavens... I mean, thank heavens you're all right. That you're not the one who stole the space plane."

"...Stole? What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain. First, let's get you free. Julia, could you help me cut these ropes?"

Dr. Chen's mind was now doing a triple marathon. So, the Williams who'd boarded the space-plane was an impostor... could Fontaine and Thorne be impostors as well? If so, who were these thieves... and what did they want?

"Julia," Dr. Grace repeated. "Could you help free our friend?"

"There's... there should be a pair of scissors in my drawer," Dr. Williams said. She coughed again.

"Easy, honey... don't try to move... We'll have you free in a jiff," Dr. Grace said soothingly. "Julia, please hurry. Our friend has been through a lot."

Dr. Chen blinked. "Yes, ma'am."

She stepped towards the drawer, her mind whirring. Impostors at NASA... a vast conspiracy... and she was caught in the middle of it.

Well, Dr. Grace was caught in the middle of it. When the media came, Grace would be front and center, as always. She would get all the interviews... all the fame... she'd be declared a hero, even if Karima and her team destroyed her precious rocket ship.

Dr. Chen quickly formulated a new plan... one that would guarantee her a spot at the top of the new space order.

She picked up a small paperweight from Dr. Williams' desk. Then she quietly crept up behind Dr. Grace, whose back was still turned.

It was quick and simple. Chen swung the paperweight, which connected with the back of Dr. Grace's blonde head. With an "Uhhhhnnnnn," the woman pitched forward and lay unconscious at Dr. Williams' feet.

Alice looked up. "Wh... what did you just do?"

Dr. Chen smiled. "What I had to."

She swung the paperweight again, and Alice's world went dark.

Dr. Chen found it quite liberating to strip her rival of her lab coat and clothes. It was similarly liberating to bind and gag her underwear-clad form and leave her in the closet next to Dr. Williams.

It was all too perfect. When the press arrived, Dr. Chen would be there to greet them. She would be the center of attention. She would regretfully inform the reporters that the space-plane had gone missing - that a group of thieves had tied up some NASA personnel, including Dr. Grace, and taken the spacecraft. Dr. Grace would eventually be found, humiliated at having lost her plane and being tied up. Sure, Alice would try telling people that Dr. Chen had knocked her out, but no one would believe the groggy flight captain who was so easily taken out and replaced.

Dr. Chen decided to substantiate her suspicions by checking in on the other astronaut rooms. Se was delighted by what she found - Lindsay was tied up and unconscious in her closet, while Heather and a blonde woman - her security guard, most likely - were tied up and sleeping in her restroom. All three astronauts had indeed been stripped, tied up, and replaced.

It was too perfect. Dr. Grace would look like a fool. The astronauts who'd been replaced would look like fools. The three impostors, whoever they were, would soon be killed by Karima and her group, who would then finish their job and blow up the space-plane. And finally, Chen would anonymously report Team Karima to the authorities, thus extinguishing her expensive debt to them, and would then deny any involvement with their terrorist plot. (She'd been careful to avoid a paper trail with the women - and besides, even if they tried to rat on her, who would believe a group of Muslim bombers?)

No, only one woman would emerge from all of this a true hero.

Dr. Chen smiled and rubbed her hands together as she headed back to the control room. Despite some temporary problems, her plans were back on track.