Wanderer's Escape by Simon Goodson

a moment, completely caught off balance, before doing his best to return the kiss.  There hadn't been any girls near his age in his cell for several years.  He'd never kissed like this before he met Ali.  He had very vague memories of kissing her while they were both under the influence of the drugs but this was completely different.  He felt a near electric thrill coursing through his body, was acutely aware of Ali's hands in his hair, her body pressed against him.  Her scent filling his senses.
    He felt so overwhelmed that he reached out for the ship, guiltily.  Asked it to check if he was being drugged again.  The ship's reply was almost instant – no external substances had been detected, however his own body was releasing a cocktail of chemicals all within normal bounds for a heightened state of arousal.
    Reassured he relaxed into the kiss.  Felt he was starting to get the hang of it when Ali suddenly pulled back from him, fear in her eyes.
    “You didn't... you haven't... have you drugged me?  Done what they did to me?”
    Jess stood stunned for a moment, then shook his head fiercely.
    “No!  Never!  That's a horrible idea.  They did that to me too.  I'd never do it to you!”
    Her eyes narrowed.  “There's something else.  What aren't you telling me?”
    “ Well... I worried the same thing.  I got the ship to check you hadn't drugged me.  When you kissed me it felt so wonderful, so overwhelming, I was worried.”
    She was still stood so close he didn't even see the slap coming, her hand seemed to materialise against his cheek.  She'd put everything into it and his head rang from the blow.
    “That's for thinking I would ever do that to you!” she shouted in his face.  Then she grabbed his head again and kissed him fiercely, but briefly.
    “ And that is for telling me how good the kiss felt.”
    With a mischievous smile she whirled and walked back into the corridor towards Sal's room.  Jess was left standing staring after her.  His cheek stinging, his lips tingling, pulse pounding and breathing rapid.  His mouth hung open and his head whirled.  Shaking his head he decided he needed advice.  Why had it been fine for her to worry about being drugged, but so wrong for him to do the same?  Somehow he couldn't imagine asking Sal about what had just happened so he decided to see Matt again.  The ship indicated Matt was stirring anyway.
     
    Matt scowled as Jess entered.  He was propped up by the bed to a half sitting position.  Jess's confusion over Ali had completely driven the circumstances of his earlier conversation with Matt from his mind.  Now the look on Matt's face made his stomach lurch.
    “Come to talk to me again have you?” Matt grumbled.  “At least till I say something you don't like.  Then you'll shoot me full of sedatives again I suppose.”
    “ It wasn't like that.  You were so worked up the ship thought you were in danger.  It said you had to be sedated to avoid doing yourself serious damage.  I decided it was right and told it to go ahead.  I was really worried about you.  And I hated doing it.  I felt really guilty.”
    Matt stared at him for a long time, then sighed.
    “OK Kid.  At least you admitted it, you could have claimed the ship acted on its own.  And I can see how it might have been necessary, though I'm still not happy about it.  More importantly, my point still stands.  We aren't safe while those bastards are still on the ship.”
    Jess pulsed a command to the ship, causing a screen to appear on the wall showing the captives new holding area complete with shields and wall.
    “I've taken some steps on that.  Created this room around them.  They can't get out – there's no door and the slot for food is much too small.  Changing the ship's design is something only I can do – or the ship itself when a pilot first starts to bond.  There's no way they can get out.”
    Matt studied the images for a while before turning to Jess.
    “OK,” he