Erika expected to talk with Ryder in the hall, but the Captain gestured for them to keep going. They headed to Ryder’s cabin, which still had working door locks. Ryder could paw through everyone else’s belongings, but his things had to stay off-limits.

  “After you.” Ryder gestured.

  Erika stepped into Ryder’s cabin. The air was warm and stuffy, though Erika doubted that was the way Ryder liked to keep his room. The air conditioning was out, and with the cabin door shut, the room turned into a swamp. Ryder looked like someone who kept his space cool.

  The Captain shut the door behind him with a definitive bang. Erika stopped examining the prizes littering the cabin, and turned to face Ryder. He had a triumphant smirk on his face that made Erika’s skin crawl.

  “Funny thing about Naoki,” Ryder said, “he was hellbent on finding the spy.”

  “Yes.” When Erika breathed, she breathed in glass shards. Ryder stood in front of the door, the only exit out of the room. Something bad was about to happen.

  “Funnier still, you were wandering around the ship,” Ryder continued.

  “What are you saying?” Erika forced herself to ask.

  “I’m saying that I know you offed Luther, and you probably did the same to Naoki.” Ryder said.

  “That’s ridiculous!”

  “I don’t wanna hear your lies.”

  “I’m not lying; I would never–”

  Ryder pulled a pistol from his trousers, and aimed it at Erika. She threw her hands up.

  “Whoa, Ryder–”

  “I’d rather not kill you. Not like this.” Ryder glared at Erika.

  “Then what do you plan to do?” Erika asked.

  “I’m calling everyone to the cabin, and I’m going to explain to them that you’re the saboteur,” Ryder said. “And, when they all realize that you’re the snake, we’re throwing your ass out an airlock.”

  “That’s murder.”

  “Oh we’re a long ways away from any government. I am the law here,” Ryder said.

  Then Erika understood–Ryder was absolutely the spy. He murdered Naoki, because he was sniffing around too much, then he’d pin the blame on Erika. Naoki would be gone, and with Erika branded the traitor, the search for the spy would stop. It was a clever plan. And utterly insane.

  “Now stay here. I’ve got some work to do.” Ryder opened the door with one hand, and kept his gun trained on Erika with the other. He stepped out of the room, then shut the door behind him.

  ? ? ?

  Ryder had captured the saboteur, and done so without anybody’s help, not even Clive. That was how good Captain Fox Ryder was. He sauntered into the galley with those thoughts in his head.

  And once Erika’s out the airlock, everyone will look to you for guidance. Ryder shoved that thought to the back of his mind, but he didn’t try to get rid of it. Ryder liked the thought, as dark as it was.

  He tried his IRIS, but the comms were still down. Oh, well. Ryder would have usually been annoyed by the slow progress of repairs, but the issue slid off his good mood.

  He wanted to climb to the bridge, where he was sure to find Mi-Cha and maybe the other scientists. He couldn’t leave the second floor though, not with Erika trapped in his cabin. He’d locked the doors; she shouldn’t be able to escape, but Ryder wanted to be around in case she surprised him.

  He stepped into the kitchen alcove, where an ancient intercom system hung near the stove burners. Ryder set his pistol down and took up the intercom’s microphone.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “This is Captain Ryder speaking. I have the spy locked in my room. Come to the bridge, and we’ll make a fair assessment of our little murderer.”

  Ryder realized the intercom wasn’t powered up yet. He swore to himself, then flicked the power button. The intercom woke slowly, because of course it did. This was old tech that Ryder never bothered to have serviced.

  Let’s hope it still works.

  ? ? ?

  The Aranea larva hadn’t figured out what glass was. It relentlessly scuttled against the clear walls of its container, confused as to why it couldn’t go further than its enclosure.

  Aymeric and Petra had nothing else to do, so they watched the larva and made notes about its habits. Petra pointed out that the creature rubbed its legs together as a cleaning ritual. Aymeric noted that its mandibles quivered, which likely meant the larva was hungry. The notes were small, but exciting. This was the first time Aymeric got to take notes on a caged alien; it was fun work. More needed to be done, though.

  Aymeric glanced to the door, expecting to see Erika walk in, but she didn’t.

  “How long is she gonna take?” He mumbled.

  Petra glanced to the door, then shrugged.

  “She got Ryder to open the lab,” Petra stated. “Ryder insisted on going in with her, and the two are gonna bring back the equipment we need.”

  Aymeric snorted.

  “I didn’t realize you could see through the walls,” he said.

  “I’m just throwing out the most likely scenario.” The most positive scenario, too. Aymeric was certain that Ryder blocked Erika, or something else happened, but he liked Petra’s attitude.

  “I think I’ll look around for her, just in case.” Aymeric stood and stretched his arms.

  “I guess that’s not the worst decision.” Petra glanced to the Aranea larva. “I think this will be fine for a few minutes.”

  Aymeric and Petra stepped out of the med bay, and into the galley.

  Mi-Cha, Theo, and Clive stood around the console.

  “Great, more of you?” Mi-Cha demanded.

  “We’re just looking for Erika. You wouldn’t know where she went, did you?” Aymeric asked.

  “Why’s everyone asking where people are?” Mi-Cha muttered. “Erika’s not my girlfriend; ask someone else.”

  Theo and Clive shook their heads–neither knew where Erika had gone, either.

  “Have you seen the Captain, by any chance?” Clive asked. “We need to talk to him. We thought he’d come here, but…”

  “He’d probably helping Erika with some lab equipment,” Petra said. Her words didn’t sound any more convincing the second time around.

  ? ? ?

  Capturing aliens was a dangerous part of the job. The creatures defended themselves, and alien ecosystems were always hostile to humans. Yet, despite the number of vicious planets Erika had walked, she had never been closer to death than inside Ryder’s cabin.

  The door was locked, of course. The comms were still down, so Erika couldn’t call Petra and Aymeric to rescue her. Ryder’s computer had a password that Erika didn’t even try cracking. The vent in the ceiling was too small for someone to squeeze through.

  But there has to be a way out.

  Erika tore apart the room for anything useful, but if Ryder kept a spare keycard around, Erika couldn’t find it. She resorted to examining the artifacts around the room. She tried to lift one of the rocks, though despite its small size, it stuck to the nightstand. When it snapped free, Erika realized the rock must be magnetic. Ryder hid nothing under it, though.

  Erika huffed, and set the rock back into place.

  You’re running out of time.

  Erika glanced to the door again, and the console next to it. A bad idea clicked into place. She pulled up the rock, and hurried to the door.

  The lock was electronic. The rock was a magnet. It was a stupid idea, but Erika didn’t have any others.

  She rubbed the jagged hunk of rock against the console. The door didn’t respond.

  “Come on, you’ve got this,” Erika mumbled. She wasn’t sure if she was talking to herself or the rock.

  She moved the stone around the edges of the console, then close to the door.

  The red light above blinked, then continued steady.

  Erika shoved at the door. It was heavy, but it moved.

  Erika glanced to the sides of the hall. It was empty. Petra and Aymeric were in the med bay, on the first floor, so that’s where Erika would go; they would help her.

  Erika stepped out of Ryder’s cabin, then went through the door to the galley.

  Ryder stood in the kitchen alcove.

  Erika paused and her chest tightened.

  Ryder glared at Erika. His pistol rested on the counter, close to his hand.

  “No!” Ryder snatched up his gun.

  Erika darted back into the hall. She burst into the gym, which was still dark.

  Ryder slammed through the door.

  “Goddammit, stop!” He barked.

  Erika raced through the gym. She tripped over something on the floor–a dumbbell, she suspected–but didn’t lose her balance.

  The door in the back opened.

  Erika slammed into the shower room.

  Ryder shouted, but Erika couldn’t make out the words.

  She ran out of the shower room, through the door on the far side. She was back in the well-lit galley. Erika ran to the elevator, and slammed her hand on the button. It didn’t respond.

  The Captain’s Override. Ryder was going to lock down every door he could, until he cornered Erika.

  She ran for the ladder and scrambled up.

  Ryder barged out of the shower room. He spotted Erika on the ladder, and rose his gun.

  Erika scrambled out of sight.

  She dragged herself into the bridge. Mi-Cha, Theo, and Clive were there, along with Petra and Aymeric.

  “Oh, there you…” Petra trailed off when she saw Erika’s expression.

  “Ryder’s trying to kill me!” She shouted.