‘Goddammit, no,’ snarled Schiller, clearly working up a temper. ‘How do we know she’s not the one who did all this?’ she said, gesturing towards Dakota. ‘Maybe if we lock up her and Lamoureaux, we won’t have to worry about either of them sabotaging anything else until we have some idea just what the fuck is going on.’

‘You have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Dakota snapped, now losing her own temper. ‘I’m sick and tired of you thinking everyone with an implant is some kind of devil out to—’

‘Stop it, both of you!’ Perez yelled. ‘Keep this crap up and we won’t even deserve to survive what’s up ahead. We either work together or we give up now. Standing around pointing fingers solves nothing.’ He looked at Dakota. ‘It’s a good idea, Miss Merrick – but I’m coming with you.’

Ty panicked when at first he couldn’t raise anyone over the comms system, then nearly convinced himself he was trapped there in the lab as the doors failed to respond. But he soon located the emergency overrides and made his way out into the passageway beyond.

When the alarm finally shut off, his ears still rang in the sudden silence. He pushed himself cautiously along through the ship, unnerved by the eerie red emergency lighting, which made the frigate seem somehow unfamiliar and threatening.

He worked his way onwards until he reached a hydroponics deck filled with lush scents, the air warm and humid. There was also a transport station there, but when he tried one of the waiting cars it didn’t respond.

He was going to have to get himself to the bridge the hard way.

Ty retraced his steps, pushing himself along a wide passageway until he found his path blocked by an enormous pressure door that must have slid into place when the alarm went off. He stared at it, dismayed, wondering if the ship had lost atmosphere in some areas. He tried the overrides, but this time they didn’t work.

He doubled back and tried another route. Once again, he found his way barred, but this time the overrides did work.

He passed through three more such doors on his journey towards the centrifuge, before he sighted several bright points of light moving towards him from up ahead. He waited until they drew closer, finally resolving into half-a-dozen spider-mechs propelling themselves forward on gentle puffs of gas.

‘Hey! Driscoll! Is that you?’

Ty recognized Dan Perez coming along the passageway a short distance behind the spiders, accompanied by Dakota Merrick. Ty moved to one side to let the spiders pass. Two of them cut off down a side passage, while the rest kept on in the same direction, heading back towards the hydroponics deck.

‘Where were you when the alert sounded?’ asked Dakota, as she and Perez drew abreast of him.

‘In the labs,’ Ty replied. ‘I had trouble getting out.’