“You’ve already killed close to ten per cent of the population. So you’ve done it. The fabric of society has broken. They can’t come after us, Valerie. All their energy and focus will be on solving what’s happening to them. So let them. Establish Cavendish, see if they’ll still send a lifeboat or two. You have the upper hand. If you give Earth the cure, the four of us will follow you. Without hesitation, without reservations. We will help you in your vision of utopia.”

Valerie was listening. Naomi pressed on. “Evan hasn’t told them you were the one who spread the virus.”

A flicker, difficult to read. Had she read all of Naomi and Evan’s messages?

“You’d be the hero, Valerie,” Naomi pressed. “Ferrying survivors, starting with the children and your chosen caretakers. The adults won’t stop you now. They’ll want to keep the next generation safe. You woke them up. So don’t you see? You’ve already won.”

“You’re asking me to give them a slow death instead of a quick one,” Valerie said. “That’s all. It’ll take time to establish Cavendish. By the time we’re sending for the adults, they’ll have boiled to death on their compromised rock.”

“Humans are tenacious. Give them a chance to show you they’re capable of change.”

Valerie scoffed. “They won’t.” Her gaze went distant. “What’s to stop you from turning on me again, if I bowed to your demand?”

“Because you’re trying to kill billions of people, Valerie!” Naomi’s attempted calm fractured. “I’ve had my moments where I look at humanity and think it’d be better if we just burned it down and started again. Haven’t we all? Doesn’t mean I actually do it. Even if we understand your reasoning, it is murder on an impossible scale. Earth is in the past for us, yes, but that doesn’t mean it has to be gone. We can’t start our legacy on genocide. What example does that set for a future generation?”

Valerie unhooked her leg, letting herself rise. She drifted forward, her body angled towards Naomi.

“If you do this,” Naomi said, “then my child will grow up knowing the good part of you. The part of you that would be horrified at what you’re doing, even if logic says it’s a viable plan. But if you drag us through and let everyone back on Earth die, I’ll do whatever I can to keep her from you. Or to make sure she knows from the beginning just what her grandmother is capable of.”

“You still think you can threaten me,” Valerie said.

“Like I said, it’s an offer. A clear laying out of terms. If you do this, I know it’s because you respect me, you want me at your side. In return, I won’t be going anywhere.”