It was a lot to absorb, all at once. But even as Varcin outlined it, I started to see the logic. To change the future you can only act in the present. There was nothing to be done about Dakk’s personal history; she would carry around what she had done for the rest of her life, a heavy burden. But, for the sake of the course of the war, my life would be trashed, so that I could never become her, and never do what she had done.

Not only that, any application I made to have a child with Tarco would not be granted after all. Hama would never be born. The Commissaries wanted to make doubly sure nobody ever climbed on board that Sunrise torpedo.

I looked at Tarco. His face was blank. We had never had a relationship, not really - never actually had that child - and yet it was all being taken away from us, becoming no more real than one of Varcin’s catalogued futures.

‘Some love story,’ I said.

‘Yeah. Shame, buttface.’

‘Yes.’ I think we both knew right there that we would drift apart. We’d probably never even talk about it properly.

Tarco turned to Varcin. ‘Sir, I have to ask—’

‘Nothing significant changes for you, ensign,’ said Varcin softly. ‘You still rise to exec on the Torch - you will be a capable officer—’

‘I still don’t come home from the Fog.’

‘No. I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be, sir.’ He actually sounded relieved. I don’t know if I admired that or not.

Dakk looked straight ahead. ‘Sir. Don’t do this. Don’t erase the glory.’

‘I have no choice.’

Dakk’s mouth worked. Then she spoke shrilly. ‘You fucking Commissaries sit in your gilded nests. Handing out destinies like petty gods. Do you ever even doubt what you are doing?’

‘All the time, Captain,’ Varcin said sadly. He put a hand on Dakk’s shoulder. ‘We will take care of you. You aren’t alone. We have many other relics of lost futures. Some of them are from much further downstream than you. Many have stories which are - interesting.’

‘But,’ said Dakk stiffly, ‘my career is finished.’

‘Oh, yes, of course.’

There was a heartbeat of tension. Then something seemed to go out of Dakk. ‘Well, I guess I crashed through another chop line. My whole life is never going to happen. And I don’t even have the comfort of popping out of existence.’

I faced Dakk. ‘Why did you do it?’

Her smile was twisted. ‘Why would you do it? Because it was worth it, ensign. Because we struck at the Xeelee. Because Hama - our son - gave his life in the best possible way.’

At last I thought I understood her.