“Wait,” I said.

I needed to think. Dr. Summers had known my father and his work. She had considered him a lifelong friend, somebody she cherished. She had not blamed him for the massacre.

Because she did not think the virus had come from Earth.

“Play it again,” I said. “Did you hear what she said?”

“Zahra.” Malachi’s voice was strained and uncharacteristically high. I turned.

Dag and Panya had joined Malachi in the outer room. Through the glass they were lit by the red glow of the dormancy lights, three shapes beyond the ghost of my own reflection.

“Panya, Dag, you have to hear this. It’s about the virus. Malachi, play the log again.”

Malachi was looking right at me, but he said nothing.

“Come on,” Panya said, and Malachi flinched. “Up. You’re going in to join her.”

Only when he rose from the chair at the console did I see that Panya had the muzzle of her weapon pressed against his back. Dag’s weapon was drawn, too, resting easily at his side. I looked from one gun to the other.

“What are you doing?” I asked stupidly.

Dag reached out and slid Malachi’s gun from its holster. I remembered my own weapon too late. I was slow to draw it, and clumsy. I didn’t know where to point it.

“Please don’t be angry with me, Zahra,” Panya said. “It’s not your fault.”

“What—”

“It’s not,” she said, as though I was arguing with her. “You’re too soft and too uncertain. I tried to warn Adam, but he wanted to give you a chance. Go in, Malachi. He wanted to give both of you a chance.”

Malachi pulled himself toward the door, but slowly, deliberately stalling. “Panya, you—”

“Shut up,” Dag said. He took Malachi’s skeleton key from the terminal. “Get in there.”

“Tell me what’s wrong,” I pleaded, my mind racing. “Tell me what you want. I know the mission has gone wrong, but we can fix it. We still have time.”

“We are going to fix it,” Panya said, her voice soft with pity and regret. “We are, Zahra. Not you. We will be ready when Adam arrives. We will fix the damage you have done. We will restore hope to him and to the family. Give your gun to Dag.”