The conversation shifts to Maeve's many cousins and what they are up to. Hours pass over tea and biscuits. The room grows dark. At first, the light is switched on, then the blinds are drawn, and the conversation turns to where they will sleep. "There's a nice little bed for you, Derek, beside the front door. It could be quite tight with the wheelchair, though.

Derek feels a stiff breeze blow across his face. "Wow, it's cold here. Is this not the planet where humans are meant to have evolved?" Jessica looks back at him with a quizzical look. "Eh, not on this part of the planet. Come on, we'd better get the two of yous inside." Soon, she was pointing to a nearby white-finished bungalow.

"I am indeed." The lady walks over and wraps him in a warm embrace. "Thanks so much for everything you've done for Maeve. I don't know what we would have done without you!" "There is no need to thank me. I would do anything for her." The lady takes a step back, looking into his eyes. He can see her wrinkled, weather-battered face now.

A few moments pass, and it comes into view. White dots surrounded by green jutting out of the ocean. "Is this it?" "It sure is." Her voice is full of excitement. More interesting than the moon, I suppose. The ship comes to a halt, and Derek feels the vibration of the landing thrusters firing. A few seconds later, a thud as it hit the ground.

The ship finally stops rattling, and a blue sky appears with white puffy shapes below. Maeve shouted back to him. "It's amazing, isn't it?" That's clouds below us." "Wow, much more beautiful than the moon." She looks back and smiles. "You haven't seen anything yet!" There is a crackling sound over the communications array - "You are about to enter His Majesty's airspace.

Hours pass, and the magnificent habitats come clearly into view. They are cylindrical in shape, with a constant stream of small vessels travelling in between them. "Looks incredible, doesn't it, Derek?" Maeve says, both of their eyes transfixed. "It is. I read somewhere that we're reaching the tipping point where more people will be living off Earth than on it. Crazy, really, and there's a huge universe out there for us to colonize." Derek's eyes were wide with wonder.

Hours pass, and the Earth now looms large in the viewport. Derek stares in fascination at the multitude of space habitats now visible in orbit. "Which one is the New Yorker habitat?" Maeve smiles and holds her hands out in front of him. "There it is. It has a blue hue. See it?" "Wow, it looks so small, hard to imagine one hundred million people living there.

After some time, Derek asks, "So, tell me about this aunt of yours. You never mentioned her previously." "Well, no, I haven't. But I don't see her often, so it wouldn't just crop up. As I mentioned, she resides on the island of Haroldswick in the Shetland Islands. Ever heard of them?" Her eyes opened wide. Derek nods his head, "No, should I?"

Derek's heart misses a beat with the anguish in her voice. "I'm sorry, Nathalie. I couldn't tell you what I was about to do. It would only get you in trouble. You were the best friend I ever had." "Don't be a fool, she's not...." The message cackles before it stops altogether. Maeve glances at him, but he looks ahead.

Derek drives his wheelchair into position in the middle of the deck. Clamps lock onto the wheelchair as a belt closes around his torso. There is a large computer monitor in front of him showing the grey hangar door blocking their exit. The rest of the deck is full of red leather seats and various computers that combine into an AI hive mind known as "The Ship".

The hail of fire stops their pursuers. On reaching the end of the corridor, they are met by another lift, except it's locked this time. "You need to enter the code - zero, three, four, five. A perk of the job," Derek roars as he opens fire once more. Maeve taps the code in, and the door swings open. "Let's go, Derek!".

The lift door opens. Derek is sitting in his electric wheelchair and pointing a Swazi hand laser at one of the guards. Its sleek design is unmistakable; it has the power to disintegrate those in front of it. "I'm here for you Maeve." His hand motions for the two guards to get out. They look at each other in disbelief before raising their hands and exiting.

Maeve wakes to the noise of fellow prisoners and thinks of Derek, who is back on base. She prepares for her hearing before the lunar judge, facing the choice of pleading guilty. Her lawyer suggests accepting the plea for a chance at freedom in ten years. Nervously, she follows two stern officers down a corridor.

Maeve's movements are easy to track. She is connected to the lunar net. It is about predicting where she will be brought next. Derek needs to be there in advance, and at exactly the right time. He continues his usual routine. All the time plotting. Nathalie seems to sense something is afoot. "Still thinking about her, Derek?" And, "there are other girls."

Timothy found himself lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling once more. He is due back at work within the hour, but is having difficulty processing what has happened. Maeve's family was involved in drugs. How did she not know? It was a large ship, though. Arguments continue back and forth in his mangled mind. He thinks back to that time, many years ago, when he considered ending it all.

His wheels clank as he goes down a bump, his surroundings becoming less wheelchair friendly. Taking a left, then a right. I'll have to turn around if things get worse. A big step and I'm goosed. He hears chatter coming around the next corner, where he is met by two armed, stern-faced men. A chill goes down Derek's spine. They are decked out in the attire of the Drugs and Firearms Force.

Derek opens the door and wheels in. The walls of the small room are a blue hue, and contain little except for Maeve, a nondescript table, and two chairs. At the sight of him, Maeve's face lights up. Her eyes are as red as her long hair. Rising from her chair, she flings her arms around him, holding him tightly. She sobs, "Oh, Derek, I'm in big trouble."

As Derek wheels onwards, he feels a whish of cool air pass over his face. No reason to panic, but still unusual on a space station with environmental controls. The corridor comes to a halt with a left and right turn. Right time, lucky I hope. He turns right and goes fifty meters. A guard appears before him, a rifle resting on his shoulder.

Derek sat up at the side of the side and pulled his wheelchair closer before transferring onto it in one sweeping, elegant movement. "Guess, I'll see you on the next shift?" Nathalia says with a smile. Looking up, Derek replies, "Yes, and thanks, Nat, for checking up on me." "Anytime. You're like all men. A bit silly at times. Need direction."

Derek lies fully dressed in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Hours have passed, and nothing from Maeve. Was I just fooling myself? Why would a girl like her want anything to do with me? She could get someone who actually walks. I was a fool. He turns to lie on his side. No, there was a real connection. I didn't just imagine it all.

Maeve glances at the digital clock over the door. It's been two hours since she met Derek. What did he say, 40 minutes? Talk about being overly optimistic. She is sitting in an interrogation room. The walls are a cold, blue color; there is a table and two chairs at the centre. Talk about having a strange day. She is walking around the room, waiting for the next person to come in and ask questions.

And then she gone. Derek could feel a buzz going through every fiber of his body. She was beautiful and had not recoiled in horror at his disability. No, she had embraced him warmly. He thought of her long red hair up touching against his ear. I am on top of the world. And yet the world around him continued on as if nothing had happened.

Maeve takes off her helmet and hears the hustle of the space station. A crowd gathers around her and her companions. Women stare and whisper to each other about what happened with her ship and how it landed. "Maeve!" A familiar voice comes from behind her. Elated, she turns to face Derek. And there he is with hazel eyes and short-cropped, black hair, sitting in a wheelchair.