“It isn’t that.” Reaching over, Katou-Zimmer took one of her husband’s hands in hers. “We can’t do it, Gavin, because it isn’t right.”

“Oh, man.” Reed rolled his eyes. “Look: by appointing ourselves ‘representatives’ of the aliens we’re not hurting anybody. As I’ve explained, the risk is minimal. We’re not hurting anybody. Spread across dozens of companies and governments, the cost to provide the four of us with comfortable lifestyles for the rest of our lives is minimal bordering on the non-existent. So I ask you again: what’s the harm?”

“Nothing to companies,” Jakob admitted. “Nothing to government. The harm is only to our souls.”

“Oh, god,” Reed muttered tightly.

Katou-Zimmer smiled back at him. “Exactly.”

The big man took a deep breath, started to say something, hesitated, and looked over at Dev, who had been quiet for some time. “What about you, Mukherjee? If I remember my mission prep correctly, your take on souls is somewhat different. You in on this?” He nodded in the direction of the Zimmers. “Or are you gonna go all metaphysical on me too?”

Finding himself pinned between the expectant glare of the big man and the more empathetic expressions of the two senior scientists, Dev had nowhere to hide, either physically or morally. So, he replied honestly. It was easier, anyway.

“I do not know. I must confess that I find myself torn. While I like my job more than well enough, I am not so wholly enamored of it that I find the prospect of a life of complete ease entirely unappealing.” In response to Katou-Zimmer’s frown he added quickly, “At the same time, I am proud of the fact that I have never done anything deliberately deceptive, much less illegal, in my entire life. So—I don’t know. I can only say that I will think about it.”

Reed threw up his hands. “Great! Here we have the opportunity of a lifetime, potentially the best thing to come out of this whole cockeyed experience, and for partners I’ve got three saints!” Noting Dev’s hesitation, he concluded, “Two and a half, anyway.”

“You should drop this, Gavin.” Jakob’s tone was wholly disapproving. “It’s not worthy of what we have experienced. It’s not worthy of you.”