I keyed up the intercom. “Kayla, how you feeling?

“Oh K,” She answered, “That’s sweet of you. You were so worried about me that you didn’t even notice we were home.”

“We are?” I checked the instruments. She was right, we were back in our own time. Arni must have had the helm on a hair trigger, and tripped it while I was heading to the bridge. “So we are. You’re alright, then?”

Her voice crackled back over the intercom, “Sure. A little woozy, but I got us back here didn’t I?”

It couldn’t be that easy. It never was. “You sure did, kitten. You’ve earned yourself a whole mess of Cyberrock.”

Something red started blinking over near Arni. He looked worried. That made me nervous.

“Proximity alarm.” Arni said through gritted teeth. “Something is right on our ass.”

I had a guess as to what that something would be. It was too close for the sensors. It had to be the Vronel, they followed us home, I was sure of it.

Kayla came back up on the intercom.

“Kaine. About those aliens.”

“Yeah?”

“They’re not aliens.”