One of the walls was partly made of glass, allowing one to see into the next room. It was in just as sorry a state, with two dusty beds with torn straps and cables hanging from the ceiling. Broken machines lay on the floor.

There were other rooms on the side that Val explored while Kaine sat next to the girl and tried to comfort her.

“What’s wrong, princess?”

He grimaced as the word came out and glanced toward the door, hoping Val hadn’t heard.

Ondine snuggled against him, still sniffing.

He looked down.

“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”

The girl nodded.

He sighed. “What have they done to you, poor kid?”

She remained quiet, as always.

Val came back out of the room with a puzzled expression.

“There’s an aquarium in this one.” She pointed over her shoulder. “And a turbine in that one.” She pointed to the other door, across from her. “The two seem to be connected to that central room—the one with the beds—though I can’t figure out how or why.”

Kaine felt Ondine shudder against him.

“I think this place dredges up bad memories for the little one.”

“Then why would she want to come back here?”

“Beats me.”

Ondine jumped to her feet and walked past Val, into the room with the aquarium. They both followed her.

The child stood before the empty container. She lifted a hand and placed it against the glass surface.

Kaine looked around the decrepit room and noticed a rusty panel on the far wall. He walked up to it and swiped the dust off the surface.

He heard Val’s voice behind him.

“Hey, look Ondine. Hardwin found something.”

He grunted as he looked over his shoulder.

“Keep that up and I’ll start calling you Valentina.”

She laughed. “Alright, alright, fair enough. So what have you got there?”

Kaine tapped on the panel, but nothing happened.

“Some sort of controls, I’d wager. The circuitry must be fried. There’s no knowing how long this place has been abandoned.”

He banged the panel with his fist and it lit up, emitting a series of squeaks and bleeps.

“Well, I’ll be...”

“Is that proper procedure?” asked Val with a smirk.

“When everything else fails, sure.” He pointed at the blinking display. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“Does it work, though?”

He scratched his head as he stared at the unknown symbols.

A gasp from behind made them spin around at the same time.

Ondine had stepped back from the aquarium, which was quickly filling up with water.

“You must have triggered the valve,” said Val.

He glanced at the panel, then back at the container.

“I guess so.”

The level of the water rose and rose until it reached the top. Only then did the flow cease.

They stared at the filled aquarium.

Val stepped forward and placed a hand against the glass surface—just as the child had before.

“I wonder what they used this for.”

“It was some sort of lab,” said Kaine. “I bet they ran experiments on Ondine.”

Val turned her head to look at him, though she did not remove her hand.

“It’s warm! You should come over and feel this. It’s quite nice.”

He snickered. “You want to take a swim in there?”

“I’d never fit,” she said with a grin.

He walked up to the aquarium and touched it.

Warmth spread through his body, along with a sense of comfort and peacefulness.

“Huh.”

“I know, right?”

He glanced over his shoulder.

Ondine stood a few feet behind, staring at them.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She said nothing.

He pulled away from the aquarium—and it felt like he’d left the coziness of a well-heated room to walk into a chill night air.

Shuddering, he knelt before the girl and looked her in the eyes.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

She hesitated, then pointed toward the room with the beds. Another broken door led into it.

“Is that where they kept you?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Did they hurt you?”

She shook her head.

He was about to ask another question when he heard a creak coming from the main room.

Jumping to his feet, he shared a glance with Val. From her expression, he knew she’d heard it too.

Without speaking, he gestured for the two of them to stay here, as he went to check what the sound was.

He slipped through the door and into the lab.

It seemed darker now. Not that it ever had been lit, but the windows in the hall had let the sunlight in. It must be dark outside now.

A shape moved to his right.

“Who goes there?” he asked.

“Hold your hands up or I’ll shoot!” lashed out a man’s voice.

He recognized it.

“You were on that ship following us!”

“Where is it?” asked the stranger.

“Where is what?”

“Don’t be coy with me!”

The man stepped out of the shadows. He had white hair and wrinkled skin, and wore a weathered suit. But, most of all, he held a phaser aimed straight at Kaine.

“I want the cube you stole from me. Give it back!”