Your takeover of the Atalanta is in violation of uncountable laws. This is fact. We understand your frustration that Hawthorne was taken off the project, and we recognise that your work made much of the Atalanta possible. I could continue to threaten you, but what is the point in that? I will admit we should have handled this better. We should have worked with you instead of cutting you out.

Naomi blinked. By virtue of silence, Valerie had gotten the President of the United States to admit he was wrong. And they said miracles couldn’t happen.

Not that she was entirely convinced he wrote it. More likely, Vice President Thomas was the one who drafted it. He was usually the more temperate of the two.

We know we cannot easily decommission the warp ring, and that you could instead calculate your way to Cavendish from a different starting location, but that would risk the ship. So we have listened to your proposed plan. We discussed it at length. What you ask for we cannot agree to. I am sure you can understand why. The next ships will arrive with the originally proposed inhabitants.

Naomi’s shoulders clenched. Valerie had sent a missive back to Earth and demanded something. What?

We ask that once you land on Cavendish, you revitalise the backup crew—

Naomi glanced away, grimacing. Valerie obviously hadn’t shared that bit of news with Earth yet.

—and establish a base on the surface. We will arrive as soon as is feasible with the Atalanta II. We cannot give an exact arrival date at this point, due to several unforeseen delays.

Naomi snorted. “That’s because you don’t have us helping you with it, you ghoul.”

You will acquiesce to our PR statements and send missives back to Earth showing life on Cavendish. Once we arrive and the base is in good working order, you will welcome the exodus ships with hospitality and camaraderie. In return, we will pardon your crimes. If we do not hear from you by the time you jump through the warp ring, we will assume you have turned down our offer, and when the Atalanta II arrives you will be arrested and transported back to Earth.

I think that, considering the circumstances, you will consider this more than fair.

We await your reply.

FRANKLIN M. COCHRAN

Naomi sucked her lower lip. She couldn’t find any outgoing missives. What had Valerie sent them? What had she demanded?

It was a laurel leaf. Grudgingly offered, likely poisoned. The government had no real reason to hold to it, once the Atalanta II was on the ground. This missive had almost certainly not been released publicly, and was likely classified. Valerie must have seen it for what it was—a way to keep them obedient long enough for the next crop of settlers to arrive. Valerie saw through that. She wouldn’t cave so easily.