I’d helped him before, and now he was here for me. At least I had one friend here. That was something to be thankful for. I focused on that and tried to calm the glowing with my breaths.

He continued. “This work detail assignment is coming from Jason, and since I was denied the transfer so quickly, I have to think that the base’s CO is in the know. I don’t think I’m going to have any luck changing it.”

“So what then? I’m screwed until Declan gets me out of here somehow? So weeks? Maybe a month?” I didn’t think it’d be possible to sweat more than I already was, but I was wrong. “I’m going to die.” My heart was pounding out of my chest, and if I’d had any food in my stomach, I would’ve thrown up. “Jason’s going to send me out there to burn to death.” I’d dreamed about that during cryo. It had been awful, but I knew that when it actually happened, it was going to be way worse. The walls were closing in on me, and it wasn’t just the heat that was making me dizzy.

Ahiga grabbed my shoulders and gave them a good shake. “You’re not going to die. You’ll have the suit. I’ll go back to Matthew and check it myself.”

“What’s Matthew’s deal? Does he have anything to do—?”

“Matthew doesn’t have any say over the work detail assignments. Something was definitely wrong with him today, but you don’t have to worry about him. He monitors all the supplies on base, and because he does that, he knows everyone that comes and goes through here. He used to be Elite IAF, but he got hurt a while back and scored this cushy job.”

“Does he know what I am?”

“He doesn’t know anything, and even if he guesses, it doesn’t matter. You’ll never run into him again. The good news—and it might be the only good news here—is that you really shouldn’t ever see any SpaceTech officers. They’re watching, but they only pop in if someone isn’t doing their job.”

“So the Tyler that I’m working with isn’t an officer?”

“No. He’s a convict.”

At least I wouldn’t have to deal with any officers. I was trying desperately to see the bright side of this, but every time I thought about the job I was supposed to do here, the more I wanted to run. Except there was no place to run to. There was no escaping the base. I was hundreds of light-years from the nearest colony. The only thing on this planet was the base.

I was stuck. I might not be in a cell anymore, but I may as well have been.