Lebedeva kept struggling, but more for show than a concerted effort to escape. Naomi could feel the tension in every line of Lebedeva’s body as she took the engineer to the autodoc and strapped her in.

“What are you doing?” she asked. “Dr. Black? Naomi?” Her voice went up at the end in restrained panic.

Naomi wished she could explain, apologise, cajole—anything. Her throat was as stiff and closed as just after the fire. She couldn’t make a sound even if she wanted to.

Valerie crept forward as Naomi prepped the IV line. Lebedeva began to struggle again, and between that and Naomi’s shaking hands, she made a mess of the insert.

Stop, she wanted to say. Don’t struggle. Don’t make this worse than it has to be.

Naomi lined up the medicines.

Her breath caught on a swallowed sob. She sent the saline through.

Don’t make me do this, she wanted to cry. But Valerie would simply say she wasn’t making her do anything.

Lebedeva went limp on the autodoc. Valerie took a few steps closer.

“Ah. I am caveat,” Lebedeva said. She knew how Valerie’s mind worked almost as well as Naomi did. Naomi gave a terse nod.

Naomi felt Valerie looming behind her.

Lebedeva’s face worked as she took it all in. “Do it.”

Naomi’s head jerked back.

“It is all right, Naomi.” Her hand moved beneath the constraints to rest on Naomi’s. “I am only one person. It is all right.”

Naomi scrunched her eyes closed, then opened them. Valerie was watching Lebedeva with something like avarice. Naomi steadied herself, and prepped three syringes, drawing the liquid from ampoules. They went straight into Lebedeva’s IV. Naomi bit the inside of her cheek, hard, and plunged.

Lebedeva went still, waiting to die.

Naomi bowed her head, resting her forehead against Lebedeva’s. Whispered in her ear.

Naomi wondered what floating away would feel like. Would Lebedeva have felt her heart rate slow, the blood stop in her veins? Would she have seen anything, just before she left this plane? And where would she go?

Lebedeva was limp, her face tilted away from Valerie.

Naomi raised her head. “The cure,” she croaked, barely able to force the words through her throat. She undid Lebedeva’s bonds.

Valerie gave a sigh, letting the silence stretch. “I’m surprised you haven’t already guessed how I’d shuttle off the cure.” Naomi frowned at the odd word choice. Valerie came closer, to check Lebedeva’s corpse. Naomi’s heart thudded.

Valerie held her hand out to press against Lebedeva’s neck.