Aniya survived the first wormhole. Her mother had accurately described what it felt like: gut-jarring. She felt nauseous, her insides like shredded spaghetti, with her hand still held by James. Her cheeks flushed crimson at the realisation, and she immediately let go of his hand. She removed the straps and went straight to the bed. Relief settled in her when she felt her body integrating, her insides merging from shredded spaghetti into one big dough of flour. Her knees were weak like a new-born deer that she could even barely make a step.

The good thing was, the straps were situated near the bed. James, with his long legs, reached the bed before she did. He offered his hand to steady herself, but even his hand was shaky, and pulled her onto the bed. She fell onto his chest.

"That was – that was... an experience," she said breathily, positioning herself comfortably on the bed. James was a few inches away from her that she could awfully feel his skin against hers, raising goosebumps all over her body. She blushed, but she hid it using the curtain of her hair and pulled herself away from him, planting her back on the bed. This was her first time having an intimate contact.

Aniya, at a ripe age of twenty-two, had never experienced such romance in her entire life. Sure she would hang out with her friends occasionally, but it was ultimately platonic, even if she had harboured a humongous crush on her friend from when she was a kid. He did not reciprocate the feeling, unfortunately. He knew she had feelings for him when they decided to meet up and catch up on the little details of their lives. They would give each other hugs, lasting longer on the next meetings than the previous ones and on the tenth meetup they had, her friend decided they should stop seeing each other. He did not even give her a hug when they parted.

She couldn't blame him anyway. He said she was not his type—a woman who possessed oriental features. He usually aimed for the blondes, he stated on their last meeting, his blue eyes hardly set. He stalked off a bit angrily and he couldn't even hide his disgust at her which hurt more than outright rejecting her and telling her that he wasn't purely interested in anything beyond a friendship.

When she went home drenched in the rain—he didn't even bother to give her a lift home—her mother immediately ran to her aid, a questioning look on her features at her distraught look. She boiled some corn soup for her, fried some chicken leg, and made her favourite chocolate milkshake. Everything felt normal back then, back when she had no idea her mother was a rebel, the face of the rebellion, and the leader of the North Star.

Everything made her head ache, and her intestines roiling as if she had not recovered yet from the first wormhole they went in. James had a disgruntled look on his features, a hand lightly pressed on his stomach.

"I thought taking a bullet spaceship would take us immediately to Vector-211—in like seconds," James mused, his eyes wandering off the ceiling. He had a distant look on his face, as if he was imagining something, or replaying a memory on his mind.

"Me too," she agreed, hugging her legs. "That's what Victoria said."

James shrugged his shoulders. "What do I know about science anyway," he said, amused. "I usually flunk them in class."

It was the first time Aniya heard herself chuckle ever since they were taken. "I bet you're the best in your class," James added, his green eyes on her.

"No," she replied, rolling her eyes at him. "Just because I look Asian doesn't mean I am smart. I almost repeated a grade when I was a kid."

James gave her a tsk. "I'm not saying it based on your looks. I kinda deduced that you got your brain from your mom."

"I wish." She hugged herself tighter, the feeling of melancholy overtaking her. She missed her mother. How long were they taken? How long had it been since the last time she saw her mother? She couldn't keep track of the exact date but she knew she was taken just a few days after the New Year. Year 2200. A new millennium, however, nothing had changed since the beginning of civilisation.

"Your mother is honestly brilliant," James said in awe, his eyes glinting.

"Have you met my mom?" She turned her head, her small almond-shaped eyes widening a fraction.

"One time my dad offered my mom to eat dinner with her. I ended up cooking for them which was almost a disaster since I don't cook much, when my sister's almost always at home."

"I don't know which I'm more surprised—the fact that you can cook or the fact you met my mom. I haven't even known you existed until you literally introduced yourself to me which was an embarrassment." Her cheeks flushed at the statement, flashbacks of those preying eyes on them.

He shot her an incredulous look, barking a rich laugh. "I can cook, but not as good as my sister. My sister is like ten years older than me, and she learned how to cook cause of our mom." His eyes flickered in sadness, but immediately shifted back to a gleeful one. Aniya said nothing about it, didn't ask about his mother because she knew the feeling all too well. She had no recollection of her father, however. She wanted to bring it up to her mother in subtlety, but she shut her off before she could even ask.

So, she never got the chance to know him.

"My mom never taught me to cook. She goes on days without being home so sometimes I basically forced myself to learn how to do chores. Clean. Do laundry. Cook."

Before James could give his reply, Victoria was at the intercom once more, informing them they would be entering another wormhole in five minutes. They both groaned but they obliged anyway. They couldn't do anything about it because they highly were at a disadvantage.

Aniya wondered if her mother got used to entering wormholes through her trips, and how she managed to survive them. Aniya barely survived the first one, she did not know if she could survive the second with her inside intact. She wanted to ask Victoria how many wormholes were there, so that she could brace herself for what was coming but she strapped herself on and held James's hand as they prepared themselves for the second wormhole.

To say the least, the second wormhole was not as bad as the first one.

Or maybe Aniya knew what to expect which was why it was not as repulsive as the first wormhole. James shared the same sentiment because he was able to jump in bed in record time. He aided Aniya, offering his hand while her knees quivered as she ambled her way to the bed.

This time, she did not fall on top of him, which was a relief. They lied beside each other, their breaths filling in the quietness that laid in the room. Aniya could not think of words to fill for her mind wandered far into the galaxy, wondering what her mother had planned on her sleeve. If she was planning to attack or ambush this bullet spaceship and swoop her in.

Those were futile attempts of reassuring herself. She did not know her mother well, she realised, and maybe her first plan was to continue with whatever she and the rebel group planned to do. But she remembered something James had said earlier, before they entered the first wormhole.

She was about to tap him on the shoulder but she found him resting peacefully with his eyes closed, light snores producing from his mouth. He looked innocent, his lashes thick and long, blessed with whatever genes his parents had.

She decided to wander around the room, to look for anything that could help her. An escape route perhaps. But where would she go in the vast emptiness? She did not know where the escape pods were, did not know which unmonitored halls to take, who to trust... There was a lot of risk, and she knew that but there was no harm in accumulating information, something that might be useful in the near future, perhaps an hour or two from now.

She went first into the bathroom. It looked pristine, glorious. The tiles looked immaculate, glowing against the light as if it had not been used by anyone. A large tub was in the middle, with different liquid vials of what seemed like body wash. A sink with a mirror atop and mounted on the wall was near the door with different amenities on the glass cabinet—shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, etc. There were pills to calm the nerves, especially when entering a wormhole. It was labelled Nouxa, a light sedative according to the imprints of the orange bottle.

She debated on taking one. It would not calm the uneasiness she felt. She knew this qualm she had would disappear if she thought of a solution, of a possible escape route. What she was doing was either brilliant or stupid if she got caught.

She caught her reflection in the mirror. She hadn't noticed there were dark bags under her eyes, and she was a shade paler than the usual. She looked tired and maybe because she barely slept, as well as the distress was getting to her. She puckered her lips, her gaze flickering to the large tub that gloriously sat in the middle of the bathroom, waiting to be plunged in. A short bath wouldn't hurt, she concluded.

She turned on the tap, warm water flowing and poured a lavender body wash onto the tub. The sound was calming and it slowed her breathing. She stripped off her days' worth of clothes, the stench reeking as she dipped her body into the tub.

She let out a long moan of satisfaction, resting her head on the white ceramic. She closed her eyes, the scent of lavender filling the room and she found herself drifting off seamlessly.

"Aniya, wake up!" James demanded, shaking Aniya's bare shoulder. She fluttered her eyes open, and let out a shriek when she realised James was in the bathroom, and that she was naked, her body submerged in the tub. Her cheeks heated, aching to chastise him for his lack of boundaries but the urgency in his voice made her forget all about it.

"What? Why?" she asked in a panicky voice.

"We're getting dinner," he replied, which soothed Aniya's nerves. She thought they were jumping into another wormhole in five minutes. She did not know if she could have the time to put her clothes on, and save some decency left for herself. He didn't mind at the bareness of her skin, as if he was used to seeing one.

"You fucking scared me," she cursed, massaging her temples. "At least get me some fresh towels?" She did not need to plead because he was on his feet, looking for a towel and hopefully he would find some freshly-pressed clothes.

A few minutes later, James was back with a fresh towel, a white shirt and a pair of jeans in tow. He did not say a word as he hung them on the wall and left, leaving Aniya no chance to thank him. Or castigate him for his actions.

She stayed in the bath for a few more minutes, breathing in the lavender through her nostrils. It almost hit home, her mind reminiscing back to times the aroma of her mother's cooking wafting in the air. It was sweet.

She stood up from the bath, wiped her skin with the towel James sent her and wore some spare undergarments she had no idea James had also brought. Her cheeks flushed. Being around him made her forget she was in the confines of her comfort, her skin jumpy whenever he was near.

The white shirt clung through her body as if it was made for her. The pair of jeans fitted her waist as well, as if the clothes were perfectly made for her. She emerged from the bath to see James was still on the bed, casually throwing a small orange ball upward and catching it flawlessly with his hand. A bored look encompassed his features but his eyes said otherwise, transporting himself to whatever dimension he was in.

"I thought you went for dinner?" she asked. Her bare feet touched the rug, massaging her soles. It was therapeutic, the sore muscles in her body loosening.

He was still playing the ball when he replied, "I was waiting for you."

That simple gesture made Aniya's heart get stuck on her throat. This boy would be the death of her. "Why? I'm going alone anyway."

"Shika said so," he replied nonchalantly, her heart sinking. So, he did not wait because he wanted to, but because he was told to do so. Why was it even a big deal? She barely knew him, and they were placed in a room together like they were rats for Victoria's sick twisted experiment.

On cue, Shika opened the door, with two sets of shackles—one for James and one for Aniya. There was no emotion on her sculpted face which made her look intimidating. James and Aniya stood beside each other, their backs stiff as they waited for the soldier to bind their wrists together. She gestured her head to the door and the duo followed suit, the other captives emerging from their rooms as well.

They walked in lines, silence permeating the entire ship. The soldiers stood in the middle of the corridor, their silver eyes glancing from any of them from time-to-time, anticipating for anyone who dared escape.

It was impossible. Aniya's eyes studied the interior of the ship. There were no possible escape routes. She darted her gaze from left to right, looking for any possible hole she can pass through but there was none. Only paint and lights. She slumped her shoulders, and looked at the carpeted floor.

"You look crazy," James whispered behind her back. She maybe was.

They arrived at the dining hall. The servers were clad in an all-black uniform—a shirt and a pair of slacks. They held circular trays of drinks, walking daintily as if it was part of their training. Their movement held more sophistication than all the captives combined.

Before the captives sat, their shackles were removed. Two soldiers stood at each table that could seat eight people. It was more than enough, with the weapons they held. The waitress served their food, the smell making Aniya's mouth to water.

She dug in quietly, the rich taste filling her taste buds. She could not deny it was better than her mother's cooking as she sliced the meat, the juice oozing in richness. After the captives ate, they were bounded again.

"I'm not feeling well," Aniya moaned while they were heading to their room, clutching her stomach for an added effect. She had to do something, find some possible escape route in this massive bullet spaceship. She had eliminated all the possible reasons that would end her up constricted in room 167. She felt James's eyes on her, laced with concern and she did not need that kind of treatment right now, not when it was working on Shika.

Relief flooded through her when Shika pulled her by the arm, with such brute force that she gritted her teeth at the slow steady pain. Without another word she was led to the clinic, a nurse behind the desk watching something through her phone. The nurse jolted upright when she saw Shika's towering presence.

"Stomach ache," Shika said and the nurse nodded. The soldier left, her footsteps heavy as her figure looked smaller and smaller in Aniya's line of vision. Before she could turn her back while the nurse attended to her, James's presence loomed which left her in surprise.

"What happened to you?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Stomach ache," he smiled, his eyes shooting her a look which said he knew what she was doing.

"Come with me," the nurse ordered, before Aniya could reply some smart comeback at him, their footsteps padding the tiled floor of the clinic. They meandered through the clinic, the emptiness sending chills to Aniya's spine.

The nurse tiptoed herself as she reached for the cabinet, an orange bottle in her grip. She read through the inscriptions, opened the bottle and handed one pill to them each. James and Aniya shared a worried look while the nurse ignored it.

"It will take away your stomach ache," the nurse said when the pair did not swallow the pill yet.

"Can we at least lie down on the bed for a few minutes?" Aniya requested. The nurse raised a brow but she nodded, heading back to the front desk.

Aniya let out a sigh of relief.

She felt James's hand clasp around her arm lightly, his green eyes levelling with her gaze. "What are you doing?"

"None of your business," she replied indifferently. She forcefully pulled her arm from his grip. "Don't bother."

"I know what you're doing," he whispered raggedly, popping the pill into his mouth without swallowing it. He sensed there were cameras attached inside the clinic.

Aniya rolled her eyes in amusement. "Then why are you asking? Why are you even here?"

"Whatever plan you have, I want to be in on it," he answered, his voice inaudible but sufficient for Aniya to hear.

She shrugged her shoulders as she turned around, her back facing him, and whispered, "I'm looking for an escape route."