“We all should have been informed,” Naomi said. “Between this and not mentioning Cochran’s message until the last possible moment, we’re understandably concerned.”

Valerie’s gaze snapped towards Naomi like a whip.

“We’re a team,” Hixon said, playing peacemaker. “We need to understand. To know what’s at stake.”

“The mission is of utmost importance,” Lebedeva said. “We realise this. I am still committed to Cavendish. As we all are.”

Valerie’s expression flickered. She drummed her fingers against the armrest.

“Cavendish is a marvel,” she said. “An unprecedented chance to start again. Earth has thirty years at best. We don’t know how long it’ll take to build the exodus ships, or who they will choose to send. Trying to influence that blew up in our faces, so of course I wanted to bring a backup, just in case.”

She pressed her lips together, choosing her next words. “We spent weeks coming up with the basis of a new society. Where people can’t be kept down. Not everyone would be able to game the system like I did, working my way from nothing to everything. I had to make compromises to get where I was, and I’m not proud of it. I’m not going to pretend I haven’t shifted my moral compass to an uncomfortable direction at times, to make sure my overall direction was true. That didn’t mean I wanted to put you through that.” Her face was distant.

With a wave of her hand, she changed the background from Cavendish to overpopulated, trash-strewn Earth. Rivers choked with garbage. Beaches carpeted with debris.

Naomi shifted her stance. This had all the makings of one of Valerie’s grand speeches. A TED Talk or a keynote. How long had she practised this?

“You didn’t agree, at first, that we should consider taking a ship of children to Cavendish and establish the new society,” Valerie continued. “So people like Cochran don’t copy and paste the same goddamn problems. You didn’t like it, but you saw my reasoning.” She rose, pacing, unfastening the top button of her coveralls. Committing to the performance. “We can’t let them come. We gave them enough chances to do the right thing. They will learn nothing.” She clenched her jaw, the cords standing out in her neck. “They won’t change. They’re incapable of it.”

“What are you saying, Valerie?” Naomi asked. “What are the embryos, beyond insurance?”

Hart widened her eyes at Naomi’s boldness, and Hixon’s gaze flattened. As second in command, she should have been the one asking the hard questions, but she’d clammed up, too afraid to hold Valerie accountable in front of the others.