Erik and Petra had no electronics expertise, but what they did have was a magnetic rock. Erika figured that if that rock could open Ryder’s cabin, it might be able to open other doors, too.

  Erika and Petra did not immediately head to the lab, however; they didn’t want to accidentally ruin the lab doors. They decided instead to test the rock on the airlock between the shower room and the galley. There was a second entrance to the showers from the gym, so if they destroyed one door, there was still another way to the shower room.

  Though I doubt we’ll do anything with this door.

  Erika had rubbed the rock along the edges of the door, but the airlock showed no signs of opening or completely breaking. She made it all the way around the door without luck, then huffed.

  “Maybe I’ve got the magic touch.” Petra held her hand out.

  “The walls are too thick here, I think.” Erika handed the chunk of rock over.

  “We’ll get it.” Petra turned her attention to the wall, and rubbed the chunk of rock over it.

  Erika stepped back, watched, and hoped Petra’s optimism meant something.

  ? ? ?

  “I’m going to try again now,” Theo stated.

  Mi-Cha and Aymeric pulled to the center of the narrow server room. There was a chance that sparks would fly. It wasn’t a high chance, but it was something no one wanted to risk, Aymeric especially. He was dressed only in a SmallWorld t-shirt that left his arms exposed. Mi-Cha had completely zipped her jumpsuit up, but she didn’t have face protection. Theo didn’t either, and he was ready to stop away if he saw sparks.

  He flicked a switch, and held his breath.

  The computer threw up the same error message that Theo had seen three times over, each time when he was certain he’d found a way around the Captain’s Override.

  “You nail this bitch?” Mi-Cha asked.

  “No.”

  Aymeric stepped forward.

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  “Y’know, I know a little about computers,” Aymeric said. “I’m not saying I can work a miracle, but if you lemme take a look, I might see something.”

  Theo held still.

  The Hell’s Ark belonged to the ship crew, not the scientists. Only Theo, Clive, and Mi-Cha should be able to dig into the systems and make adjustments.

  How’s that working out for you?

  Aymeric stared at Theo with an open expression. There, Theo decided that the Hell’s Ark was everyone’s ship.

  He stepped away from the console, and let Aymeric come forward. Theo felt the itch of protectiveness deep within his brain. He ignored it, and watched Aymeric navigate the ship’s systems.

  ? ? ?

  The magnetic rock hadn’t worked for Petra. She stepped back, and pouted at the airlock door.

  “It’s no use,” Erika said.

  “But maybe we could open the lab anyway,” Petra said. “I mean, the wiring’s gotta be different in that door, right?”

  “It might be shielded,” Erika said.

  “Oh, right.” Petra turned the rock around in her hand. “What about another way into the lab?”

  That blasted away a mental block in Erika’s head, and left possibilities strewn in front of her. What if Erika and Petra got into the lab in a way other than the front door? What would that look like?

  “We can go through the hull,” a deep voice rumbled.

  Erika flinched.

  Clive stood only a few meters away.

  “You. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” Erika took deep breaths and tried to slow her heart rate.

  He’s sneakier than he looks. He could have snuck up on Naoki and killed him. Erika forced the thought out of mind.

  “How much did you hear?” Erika asked.

  “You need to get into the lab,” Clive said. His eyes were red.

  “And we can go through the hull?” Petra asked.

  “There’s a hole in one of the alien enclosures,” Clive said. “Theo and I patched it, but that patch could be undone pretty easily. We could squeeze through the hole and enter the labs from there.”

  “The ship would be opened to the vacuum though, wouldn’t it?” Erika said.

  “It was contained in the labs last time,” Clive said.

  “Contained just in the Carnifex’s enclosure,” Erika mumbled. She could slip in and out of that cage and only release some of the Ark’s oxygen supply. It would be a big step toward getting the ship back in order.

  “Petra, let’s grab some enviro-suits and get out there.” Erika stood.

  “I’m coming,” Clive stated.

  Erika paused.

  “I can show you where the hull breach is located,” Clive said.

  An alarm went off in Erika’s head. Clive probably weighed more than Erika and Petra combined; if he got the pair outside, he could easily shove them off the Ark and into the void. Even if he wasn’t the spy, his grief might make him do something erratic.

  “Will you be okay?” Erika asked.

  Clive nodded.

  “So we can absolutely trust you?” Erika wanted to hear Clive say it.

  “You can trust me,” he said in a flat voice.

  Erika exchanged a glance with Petra. She nodded back–of course she’d be okay with Clive coming along; she might not even realize the danger involved.

  Erika sighed.

  “Okay. Let’s get ready,” she said.