The ordnance guy and the cook ran outside. I didn’t move. Yanai walked toward Korczak and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You took it too far, man,” he said, making sure the whole room knew he had nothing to do with it.

“Come on, let’s go,” he said to me while moving toward the door, but I didn’t budge.

“Hey, get the fuck out of here,” Sakal grumbled and pushed me. I tried to stand firm, waved my hand in protest, I think I even shouted. But it was all for show. The truth is, all I wanted was to get out of there. I managed to look back one last time before the door shut. I saw Korczak cave, his hand slowly letting go of the weapon, which fell near his feet, and Bejo leaping at the tall Brit who collapsed onto the floor.

I waited for the door to be locked before trying to open it. So someone there would think I tried to help. Then I turned around. Yanai was no longer there. No one was there. I fled to my room, almost running. I lay on the bunk in my uniform, didn’t even take off my shoes. I covered myself with the blanket, wrapping it as tightly around my body as I could, like my mom used to do when I was a kid. I looked up at the metal frame of the bunk above me. I tried counting sheep. I failed.

8.

I GOT OUT of bed at the break of dawn and started packing my weekend bag. Then I went to Korczak’s room and stood by the half-open door. I pushed it an inch farther and peeked inside. The few rays penetrating the piece of cardboard against the window landed on Korczak’s body. I heard him snoring. He had a big scratch on his cheek that sent shivers through my body. I didn’t notice any other marks. I don’t know how long I stood there staring at him. At some point he started coughing, and I flinched, taking two steps back.

When I left his room I called Waxman, without knowing what I was going to say. He didn’t pick up. He didn’t answer the second time either. I sent him a text saying that it was urgent and started wandering around the base, watching the sun take over the desert. I had to tell someone. I had to make sure the details made it out of Neptune and reached the real world, somewhere out there.