Zik vows to help Amelia, but his plan is probably the least likely one that anyone has thought of! He wants to ask nicely?! How strange!

Unfortunately, Zik, having been raised in that environment, simply takes it for granted that people would understand the need to dialogue before engaging in hostilities. Here on the prison planet, things are a little more stark, and as we’ve already seen, aggression is a way of life.

Anarchy doesn’t mean chaos. Literally translated it means “no rulers.” That’s what they have going on Zoz, and look how nicely it turned out! So many futuristic stories depict either an authoritarian future or a dystopic future with a breakdown of society following a governmental collapse. It’s high time for a story that explores the plusses and pitfalls by a society without masters!

Vera thinks it sounds pretty swell, but she has a warning for Zik: people here are (understandably) angry at their captors, and who knows what Zik’s arrival may trigger!

Oops! That’s kind of an obvious thing, but I’m personally often surprised that people don’t remember this more often. Vera takes advantage of the fact that she’s alone with Zik for the moment to ask him about what life is like on Zoz. It’s probably better than this crappy prison, but you never know!

Sure enough, Vera already knows what happened to Amelia. Awkward!

Back at the village, Amelia is busy taking care of Vera. As she does so, she thinks of Zik and how fortunate they are that he has arrived! But someone interrupts her reverie…

Vera starts coughing again. First things first! The quest for freedom can wait, we’ve got a life to save here. Get on it, boys!

Zik’s never been able to resist helping damsels in distress, and there’s a whole planet worth of people here to rescue! But how will he do it with a busted ship? Stay tuned and strap in, the ride has just begun!

Vera has a pretty serious disease, but it’s not surprising considering she’s lived and worked in that filthy factory her whole life. Lung cancer is dangerous, though, so she’ll need to get to a hospital! The problem is, there are no hospitals on this prison planet. That nasty Queen Elcyra doesn’t really care that much about her prisoners. Is Vera doomed?

Poor Vera didn’t get the special water that she seems to really need! Zik, being the gallant hero, is looking for a way to help her out.

Here is a very important, but very ill, lady. She’s on death’s doorstep, but she’s still aware enough to know that a complete stranger has walked into her life.