“I have a squad of Marines stationed in position to provide security for the aliens,” Parnell reported.  Left unspoken was the very real possibility that the aliens could be threatened by Ark Royal’s crew.  “As far as we can tell, the aliens themselves don't pose a threat, but we’re taking every precaution regardless.”

“Good,” Ted said, silently blessing his ship’s paranoid designers.  The quarantine ward was completely self-contained, to the point where the prisoners and their monitors could be completely isolated from the rest of the ship.  If they had any viruses that could spread to humanity, they wouldn't get very far.  “Make sure the guards are rotated regularly.   I don't want to take any chances.”

“Lots of curious crewmen,” Parnell added.  “We might want to place recordings of the aliens on the datanet.”

Ted hesitated, then shook his head.  He could understand the crew being curious about their alien captives, but he had no way of knowing how the aliens or their superiors would react to such treatment.  Humans wouldn’t be happy when they found out about the nude prison camp, even if cold logic suggested the aliens hadn't meant any harm.

“No,” he said.  He looked around the compartment.  “Have we pulled everything useful from the penal camp and the alien base?”

“We pulled a few samples of alien technology from their base,” Parnell said.

“Aye,” Anderson growled.  “I’m looking forward to studying it, I am.”

“As soon as we’re on our way,” Ted assured him.  “And the camp itself?”

“There's nothing apart from the prefabricated buildings,” Parnell said.  “We searched thoroughly and found nothing else from the Heinlein.  I was hoping for a flight recorder, but ...”

He shrugged.  “I suspect the full story of their colony mission won’t be known until we actually manage to talk to the aliens,” he admitted.  “Overall, if the prisoners hadn't been drugged, they would have been bored out of their minds.”

Ted nodded.  Even when he'd been commander of a starship permanently stuck in the reserves, he'd had something to do.  Ark Royal had had no shortage of repair or modification jobs ... and when those palled, he'd had access to a vast entertainment library and the ship’s own production of rotgut.  But staying in a prison camp for weeks, perhaps months, with nothing to do would have driven him out of his mind.

“Unless anyone sees a strong reason to remain in this system,” he said, “we will proceed to Tramline Two within the hour.  That should take us back on a course towards human space.”