*Unedited*



"...we will be landing in exactly five minutes. Please prepare for landing by taking the safety precautions of finding a secure seat with a seatbelt. Remember our employees' safety is our top priority."

The intercom then silence as the robot voiced finished the recorded announcement. Everyone in Katherine's group was wide awake and preparing themselves physically and mentally for landing. It was obvious that most of everyone with her was just as nervous and anxious as she was. Maybe even scared.

"You ready for this?"

Katherine turned to see Dallas looking toward her with a hopeful look in his eyes as he waited for her response. She nodded her head then said, "Yeah, I'm just a bit anxious for what's in stored for us."

Dallas nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, I just hope everything goes smoothly."

"Alright, guys. Everyone knows the plan..." John said, getting the group's attention. "We are to go out in a pair at a time. If all of us go it will be too big of a crowd and it might gain us unwanted attention." He explained, going over the plan discussed earlier once more.

"But, we must wait until the commotion of the ship landing and unloading some of its goods off the ship, give or take an hour or two. Once the commotion of the crew has quiet down, Henry and I will go first to scope out the area and find a good hiding place for the group to gather back in again." He said while gesturing to the man beside him. Everyone nodded their head in other understanding of the plan.

Now all Katherine and her group had to do was wait and be prepared to leave. The group had already decided who they were going to partner with in sneaking off this ship. Bethany jump on the idea of her staying close with her cousin, Dallas, claiming she would be a lot safer with him. As a result, Katherine was left to find someone else to sneak off with. Katherine was a group with a young teenage girl named Hannah. She looked to be around the age of 15 or 16 years old. Katherine was also given another person in her small group since there the large group was an odd number of people. It was an older woman named Maria who was instructed by John was to go along with Katherine out of the ship. The irony of it was she was the same woman who complained to John over a day ago about it begin toon dangerous in bringing the Luna Prime. Once again she voiced her complaints to John about her situation by sticking with Katherine, but it was ignored by John.

Dallas gave me an apologetic look about her situation with the mean woman. However, Katherine wasn't complaining because the only thing on her mind was getting off the ship. She honestly didn't care who she got off the ship with as long as the person didn't get them caught.

After a few moments, the group was startled by the jerked motion of the ship feeling the motion of the ship descending in a downward motion. The ship was finally landing after a few hour journeys here.

The ship jerked once more until finally, all motion of the ship ceased.

"Crew Unit 1 and Unit 2 please report to lower deck 5 for unloading." A robotic voice said. "Crew Unit 3, please..."

"This is it." Katherine heard John say. Everyone began to move between the stacks and piles of inventory. From looks of all the items in this area alone, she had a feeling this wasn't their only stop.

Katherine moved over to Maria and Hannah, who couched down hiding behind a stack of crates. Katherine's heart began to race as she heard a machine coming on followed by what like something was opening. She and pretty much everyone else poked their heads over the crates or objects they were hiding behind to see the noise. Through the crates and the objects, Katherine could see a line of light only for it to get bigger and bigger this gave her the notion that this was the ship's door opening.

After the door was opened complete voices giving orders could be heard along with the sound of heavy footsteps. Katherine watched as men in the distanced of the ship grab crates and other supplies moving off the ship. She noticed that some grabbing heavy-looking objects with ease while others had to get the assistance of other workers to move the object. 'Humans work on this ship too?' Katherine thought.

This went on for a good while until the workers' labor was interrupted by the voice in the intercom.

"Crew this is your commanding captain speaking. I just received word from our Alpha Prime." At that very mention of the alpha, all workers halting their movements. Katherine's heart began to race in her chest as she froze. "It has been brought to my attention that fugitive humans may have boarded my ship without permission. This is a big ship so they could be anywhere. Keep your ears and eyes open for anyone suspicious-looking. Oh, and for my human workers if you help these humans in their escape you will be facing the consequences and wrath of the Alpha Prime....You may proceed with your duties."

The intercom was clicked off and the men slowly proceeded back to their work. Voices of concern and curiosity rose from the workers after the captain finished his announcement.

"Great, this escape was already hard enough, but now its ten times harder," Abigal whispered beside Katherine. She was right. Now the crew was looking out for them.

"What are we going to do?" Katherine asked herself out loud.

"Come on we need to find somewhere better to hide than just this," Abigail said standing a little higher from her crocheting position. She was about to move away until a hand grabbed her wrist.

"No the only thing we need to do is stay here," Katherine said. The woman sent Katherine a glare as she glanced at her and the hand wrapped around her wrist. "It's too risky to move. We could be spotted."

"She's right." The young girl named Hannah said.

Abigal scoffed glancing between the two of them. "And if we stay here we also have a chance of being seen." She replied trying to pull her arm free, but Katherine wouldn't budge.

"Stop. We need to stay here." Katherine whisper-yelled.

"Let go of me," Abigail said, yanking her own arm roughly.

Suddenly the sound of crash ranged through the area.

As a result of the 'tug-of-war' with Abigail's arm, Katherine released her arm only for her to fall crash landing into the crates and boxes behind her.

Katherine's eyes widen and heart skipped a beat.

"Hey! Whose back there?!" Someone growled. Set footsteps could be heard then followed by several other footsteps making their way towards them.

"You think its the fugitives?" Someone asked.

"I hope so. Alpha Prime might give us a handsome reward for their capture." Another said. The footsteps continued to get louder and approaching the groups hiding place fast.

"We need to move," Katherine said, running along with the crates and boxes. No one had to be told what to do as they followed after Katherine without question.

The group ran through the piles and stacks of the boxes and crates trying their best to keep quiet and hidden. They had to go around the area instead of making a straight line toward the ship doors because it will be safer if that went the long way out.

"I got a scent!" Someone yelled, causing Katherine's heart to drop. "They're here!"

"They had to go through that way!" Someone else yelled.

Not caring anymore to be seen Katherine stop trying to duck and hide. She just ran. Ran as fast as she could and by the sound of the footsteps behind her the rest of the group had the same idea.

"There they are!" Someone shouted.

Katherine picked up her feet moving as fast as her burning legs could take her.

"Get them!" Another person yelled. "Close the gate their escaping!"

The light from the end of the room started to grow small as the gate of the ship doors began to close.

"No," Katherine said as she felt tears burn in her eyes. Her arms pumped hard as she tried to reach the outside before the moderate pace doors closed.

A scream was heard behind as followed by a thud. It was obvious someone was captured, but it was no time to turn back now. Sadly, some will be sacrificed for the price of freedom.

A few more screams and thuds were heard as she almost made it to the end.

With the door nearly completely shut, Katherine did the only thing she knew she could do. Katherine fell onto her back and slid her body under the doors that only had enough room for her thin body to squeeze through.



Just like that the doors were closed.



Katherine looked around her for a moment and saw a few men staring at her with a confused look on their faces.

One man stepped forward with his eyebrow raised. "Who are you?"

Katherine's heart raced as she looked around the men not sure what to do.

Suddenly, a strong grip was felt on her arm and she was yanked to her feet. Before she could process what was happening. She was being dragged toward the woods.

"Wait!" The man yelled behind them. No footsteps were heard behind her as she pulled along into the woods. So, they weren't followed.

Aft dodging trees and jumping over a few longs, they ran for seemed like a while until they made it onto a river. The water moving at a moderate pace. This is where Katherine was able to stop and rest.

Katherine put her hands on her knees and her head hanging low as she tried to catch her breath.

"Come quickly, we need to try and mask our scent."

Katherine looked up to see John. He bent down at the bank of the river and picked up what looked to be mud wiping it all over his face, arms, and neck. She moved her eyes from John and took in the surrounding area. All she saw was trees.

Her eyes widen as the realization came to her. "J-John, where are the others?" Katherine asked.

John looked over at her and gave her a sympathetic look.

"They're gone."







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Y'all we are close to the final chapter. Thank you all for reading, voting, and commenting on my story.