Naomi hated the sound of the lock to the bridge hissing shut.

There had been no need for locks on the common areas of Atalanta before.

Hixon glanced up from her navigations, frowning. Naomi made sure the comms panel by the door was switched off. Lebedeva floated closer, moving gracefully between the handrails. “What’s going on?” she asked, gaze shifting between Naomi and Hart.

“We’ve come across information you need to know about before we jump.” Naomi tethered herself to her chair, gathered her strength, and told them everything. Hart added a few comments here and there. Naomi tried to read the pilot and the engineer’s expressions. If Hixon knew or had suspected anything, she was good at hiding it. Lebedeva could be a stone statue for all she reacted. Perhaps it was not all such a shock to her. If something ever went wrong with the embryo storage, for example, it’d be Lebedeva Valerie would call on to fix it.

“There has to be a rational explanation,” Hixon said. “There was with the message from Cochran. It was a distraction when we needed to focus on the test jump.”

“She would have told us when she was ready,” Lebedeva agreed.

“She told you because I made her,” Naomi said. “I found out about it on my own and confronted her. I’m not sure she would have, otherwise.” The words were heavy. “Hixon, you’re second in command—she should have told you at least, shouldn’t she?”

Hixon’s chin rose. “You’re the one questioning her authority and mine in one swoop.” Her gaze flicked to Hart. “Both of you are.”

“So we shouldn’t question anything?” Hart asked. “You think we should follow orders even if they put us all in danger?”

The silence was sharp. Charged.

“The embryos are merely a protection. Assurance,” Lebedeva said. “The power surge would not have been on her. She would have checked the numbers.”

Naomi’s gut tightened. “You knew.”

Lebedeva blew out through her nose. “No.”

The smallest flicker on Hart’s face, the barest meeting of gazes. Neither she nor Naomi knew whether to believe her. A few months ago, Naomi would have sworn no one on this team would lie to each other. She couldn’t pretend she was any more honest than the others.

“I know she would not have jeopardised the backup crew,” Lebedeva said.

Naomi wished she could be as sure. Hart raised her eyebrows at Hixon. “Well?”

“I don’t know what to believe.” Hixon’s voice cracked.