Twenty-One.

Babs was moving through the snow, frustrated at how much it impeded her movements. She was wearing a space-suit, because it helped her stay warm, but the helmet was troubling her – snow kept clinging to it, making it almost impossible to see anything. She had been heading for what she thought was a hill, to get a vantage point. Now that she had been walking for a while, though, she wasn't sure she'd be able to climb it – the space-suit was slippery on all the snow, and it was difficult enough just to walk.

Well – there was nothing else to it, but to try. She began to scale the hill, and it felt like she slipped two steps backwards for every step forwards. Snow got everywhere, and she was soon hip-deep in it. Suddenly, she thought she saw a movement. She flinched, turning to the side and trying to see what it had been, but she caught nothing. The helmet was impairing her vision, though.

She hesitated for a moment, and then reached to unlatch it, removing it. The planet had breathable air, but it was blasted cold. She looked around tensely, wondering what it had been she saw. There was definitely something strange going on.

BEEP BEEP!

The communicator activated. She nearly fell over with shock.

“Jeez, Krystof. You scared me. What's up?”

“Babs, watch out! There's a-”

– and then, a blow to the back actually did knock her over. She stumbled forwards landing in the snow. Babs flailed around trying to get up, but it was like trying to climb out of cotton candy. Krystof's muffled voice came from somewhere in the snow, but presently someone else spoke.

“What's your name?”

It was a woman's voice, and it sounded more curious than threatening.

“Babs. Who the hell are you?”

Someone reached out a hand, helping her to her feet. She came face to face with a short-haired woman in black clothes, who seemed relatively unaffected by the cold. Her expression was very harsh for a moment, but suddenly she loosened up, and smiled.

“Hello, Babs. My name is Love. I work with the Consul. She instructed me to contact you.”

“This is how you normally contact people? By karate chopping them in the back?”

“Yes. Why?”