Lisa came in to see Shan, moving as fast as she could.

“We’ve got a problem”, she said, curtly. “Stacey’s missing…”

A full-scale search ensued. Shan called everybody in. Sandy just dropped everything and came straight over, and Vicky came out of college early to help look as well.

A small body was finally located in the local woods…

Stacey was found there, lying on her back, unresponsive. She was muzzled, blindfolded and wearing headphones, and a transparent ball helmet was sealed on her head. Every time someone tried to move her, a light flashed on the collar of the helmet and her body jerked as she was shocked.

Sandy spent ages working on the lock on the helmet.

“I’ve never seen anything like this”, she said, finally. “It makes our kit look cheap. We’re not getting her out of this anytime soon…”

“I’m not sure there’s anyone left to rescue, anyway”, she continued. “She’s totally unresponsive. I think the damn thing has wiped her, completely…”

Shan lost it when Sandy said that. Screaming and raging, she started slashing around, ripping branches off of trees, howling. She just collapsed in a heap…

Suddenly, there was a text, untraceable, on her phone.

“Glad you like our little present, bitch. Maybe you’ll learn your lesson, but I doubt it. Find some way to free the maids, or Lisa’s next…”.

Shan went white as a sheet and raced back to Samoto. Sandy raced after her, leaving Lisa with Stacey.

Shan and Sandy were still talking as Stacey’s body was brought back from the woods. She had been heavily sedated to make it possible to move her without her being in too much pain, and she was carried into the medical bay and placed in a cot.

Shan showed Lisa the text.

At the same time, there came a cry from the medical bay. Sandy had cracked the lock on the helmet…

Sandy eased the helmet gently off of Stacey’s head, then removed the blindfold, muzzle and headphones.

Now, they all waited for Stacey to wake up, not knowing if she ever would…

Sandy took over in the medical bay, Vicky assisting, her other persona on the back burner. One of Vicky’s jobs was to care for Stacey. Stacey was set up as a long-term coma patient; intravenous fluids, as well as her limbs being moved for her, as they had no idea how long she had been lying in the woods.

It was Vicky that let out a squeak as Stacey’s eyes opened. Problem was, there was no one ‘at home’ anymore. Stacey’s mind had snapped because of the repeated torturing and electric shocks. Vicky sagged, rested her head on Stacey’s chest, and cried her eyes out…