‘Ma’am?’ When the reply came, whoever was speaking had lowered his voice a little, as if he was trying not to be overheard. ‘Comms Officer Levin here. From what I hear, there are three people still down inside the Retreat.’

‘Who, exactly?’ Nadia demanded. ‘Are any of them Pathfinders?’

‘At least one,’ came the reply.

‘Did anyone radio them? Or—’

‘We did earlier, but they stopped responding to our calls. We don’t know why. Plus, the below-ground relay’s down,’ Levin replied. ‘Can’t tell you what their status is, but the Commander’s adamant that anyone who can, should prioritize coming back to the base. As for anyone down below . . . I’m sorry.’

Nadia slapped the dashboard hard with one gloved hand, cutting the connection. ‘Fucking asshole,’ she said. ‘Commander Barnes, I mean.’

‘Who?’

‘The guy in charge of the Forward Base on this alternate,’ she said by way of explanation.

She was facing away from me, but I could see her face reflected in the narrow windscreen before her. She was staring off into the darkness outside, her face pale and drawn.

‘So what happens now?’ I asked.

She leaned back in her chair and drummed her fingers on the dashboard. ‘Can’t leave them down there, Jerry.’

I looked out at the blackness and saw my own reflection staring back as well. ‘You want to go down there,’ I said, my bowels feeling as if they had turned to water. ‘What do you think happened?’

‘I have no idea,’ she replied, looking distracted. She started the EV’s engine and reached for the wheel, then paused and turned to look at me.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I . . . wasn’t thinking. There’s somebody down there who’s very dear to me, Jerry. I can’t leave them there, not if they’re in some kind of trouble. I’d take you back first, but the moment I roll this EV back into the garage, no way is Barnes going to let me take it back out again.’

‘Would Barnes really stop you? Even if it meant abandoning those people down there?’

She nodded. ‘He probably thinks he’s being a pragmatist,’ she replied. ‘But I don’t leave our people behind, Jerry. You, me, and all the rest of the Pathfinders – we watch out for each other.’

I came to a sudden decision. ‘Then let’s go find them,’ I said.

She turned her seat on its pivot until she was fully facing me. ‘You need to understand this isn’t something you have to do, Jerry. You have a right to ask me to keep you safe from harm. And, just to be absolutely clear about this – I’m talking about disobeying a direct order. I don’t know what kind of consequences that’s going to have for either of us.’