The three of them froze, turning towards the source of the sound. “Was that a door?” Jay hissed, panic clear in his voice.

Charles thought she could hear footsteps approaching them through the kitchen, whose closed door stood not far in front of her. A click to her left told her Robin had taken the safety off her gun.

Charles tossed the flare behind her so that the light was at her back. The hairs on her arms stood on end, and her throat felt tight as she took a deep, stabilising breath. She pulled the door open with a snap.

CHAPTER EIGHT

A woman with dishevelled hair and a face whiter than the tiles behind her stood on the other side of the door. Her large brown eyes squinted against the harsh light.

“You… came…” Her voice cracked, and suddenly, she was crying. Her body shook with heaving sobs.

Charles grimaced and glanced at her companions for help; Jay started forward, gun already pocketed, his arms spread to envelop the woman, but Robin grabbed his shoulder and tugged him back. She hadn’t lowered her gun, and the shadows that caught in her creased face gave her an intense, manic look.

“Get back,” she snapped as the new woman took a step towards them. “Back against the wall. Keep your hands where I can see them.”

The woman obeyed. Her sobs quieted as she raised her hands over her head. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’ve just been waiting for so long, and when I heard you, I thought—” She broke off into a hiccup.

“Tell me your name,” Robin barked.

Jay glared at his leader. “Hey, cut the lady some slack. Let’s get her something to drink and a warm blanket before we start the inquisition, okay?”

“Unless you’ve forgotten,” Robin spat through her teeth, “we have two bodies rotting away in the sleeping quarters. Someone killed them.”

Charles tilted her head as she regarded the woman. She was small, with mousey brown hair worn unfashionably long, and she was clearly terrified. “Do you really think she—”

“Maybe she did. Maybe she didn’t. Either way, I do not want to have to face Central and explain how I got my team killed because I let my guard down. Now, I repeat: what’s your name?”

“Ellan,” the woman stuttered. Her hands were shaking as she held them above her head. “Ellan DeSouza. I was the station’s scientist.”

“That checks out,” Jay said. “I read up on them on the trip here. She only finished her training four months ago, and this was her first assignment.”

Ellan nodded eagerly, her limp hair fluttering about her face.

“Okay,” Robin said, holding her gun steady. “Tell me what happened here.”

“We were attacked,” Ellan said, still blinking at tears as the flare hissed and fizzled behind them. “Our equipment said there was a large lifeform that had come off an asteroid and was blocking part of our scanners. Jones and Mike went out to clear it while I stayed at the control panel. Then—then I heard screaming. And Mike was yelling at me to open the doors, so I did. They both came back in, but so did something else—” She broke off again and squeezed her eyes closed.