It was the second day when a escape was attempted. Will didn't know knew who egged the first child to do it but it was started with the first domino that had fallen. Only five of them stayed behind counting Seamoor. Will broke his shackles into two making the black shadow covering his feet vanish automatically. Will and the other children were running down the corridor passing by the lantern like objects getting and closer to the exit. Will got his foot stuck in a crevice then twisted it and fell. The lingering two headed plant like child helped Will to his feet placing his hand around his shoulders then made a run for it after the children. Children fell to their feet then got back up heading down the tunnel. Will's hopes soared as he could imagine his father beckoning him to the Jupiter 2 and his mother beside him with his hands out for him wearing a tearful smile.

One moment they were running, the next moment they found themselves in a cage with bars and the tunnel was gone.

"You disappoint me, children," Shar'bog said, coming out of the shadows. The lighting made him seem scarier and golden. "Just when I thought you're used to it."

"We will never get used to it!" the two headed child shouted. "I am half plant! Plants live on the surface! Not underground!"

"Tu'irch," Shar'bog said, approaching the two headed child. "That is what they call you?"

"Yes," the two headed child, Tu'irch, said.

Shar'bog turned toward a shadowed figure then shared a nod. One of the bars slid up before the children.

"I will make a example out of you," Shar'bog said, yanking Tu'irch out of the cage.

Will fell down to the floor on his side.

"No!" Will called, as Shar'bog dragged Tu'irch away. The cell bar came down in front of the children.

Tu'irch waved back at the chanting children.

"FREEDOM! FREEDOM! FREEDOM! FREEDOM! FREEDOM!" the children chanted as Tu'irch was handed off to T'kumie.

T'kumie dragged Tu'irch away.

"The only way you will be free is the day you die," Shar'bog said. "There is no oxygen on the surface of this planet."

A dead weight dropped into the children's stomachs.

"Then how is there oxygen in here?" Will asked.

"We have a in grown forest that provides the oxygen," Shar'bog explained. "Despite being half plant this child will choke to death. Slowly and painfully. The cost of your freedom is death," he approached the cell doors wiping the dirt off his hands. "Get up to your feet," he gestured a finger toward the resting children. "You're going back to work."'

Shar'bog turned away from the cage. Will scanned his many new friends: Ric'ar, D'hai, T'ichy, Mia'cain, Opal'zone, and Z-Space to name a few of them. The children that he had befriended were on the floor tending to their cuts. The standing children shared glances with other. Most of them were humans and had human-ish names that sounded typical yet different the way it was pronounced. Z-Space had a concerned, yetbaffled look on his face. Will's friends shook their heads. Will used Ric'ar as his support to stand onto his feet keeping his other foot up. Will watched the towering rock like man stroll toward the exit.

"Some of us can't work," Will said.

"What did you say?" Shar'bog asked, turning toward the cage.

"We can't," Will said, pointing toward the resting children caring to their cuts.

"Of course," Shar'bog said, in disgust. "We'll get our metal dealer after you."

A Locksmith?, Will thought as Shar'bog beckoned over his female assistant Tuh'ug.

"As you request," Tuh'ug said, with a nod of her head and Shar'bog walked past them. She came to the console across from the cage. "Stand by and no sudden movements."

Light gray noticeable fog entered the cage. Will coughed, as it filled the cage while he covered his mouth. The gray gas brushed by the bars making the visibility of a force field become apparent. He let go of his mouth to grab hold of a bar to keep his balance. Will was the first one to fall to the floor coming to a landing against the bars. His eyes grew heavy watching the other children fall to the floor. His eyes slowly closed on him while he struggled to keep them open. With a final insistence, his eyes closed and his head turned to the side. The smoke filled the entire cage and settled down. Then it vanished abruptly once the children were asleep. Tuh'ug pressed several rounded, colorful buttons on the flat beeping surface.