“You are cowards,” Adam spat, his face contorting with anger. “You are weak, foolish cowards. You have betrayed me even worse than the liars and deceivers. They are cruel, but you are so much worse, because you let me believe you would help me.”

“Adam, take a minute to think about it. We need time to figure out our plan,” Orvar said.

“There is no time!” Adam roared. Nadra ducked away from him and turned into Anwar’s arms; she hid her face against his shoulder. “I have given your orders and you will follow them.”

“I know we were supposed to break free,” I said, but I was speaking to Orvar now, not Adam. My voice was raw, my entire body trembling. I needed him to hear me. “We were supposed to find a home. But this isn’t it. This ship is a death trap. Orvar. Please. You can’t bring them here.”

“It’s a terrible thing,” Orvar said, and he sounded so tired, so much older than he had ever seemed before, “to let yourself dream of something better after you thought you’d forgotten how.” He glanced down and tapped something on his terminal. “This is the captain speaking.” His voice trembled. “We’ll be initiating a low-g course correction burn in—”

There was a loud crack, like a bone breaking. Orvar’s head snapped to the side with an eruption of blood. Anwar screamed, and the bridge crew was shouting, scrambling against each other, shoving away from the terminal.

The shot had blown off half of Orvar’s face. His remaining brown eye stared blankly from the ruin of blood and shattered bone.

Adam pushed Orvar’s body aside and looked into the camera. I had not even seen the weapon in his hand. His pale eyes were blazing and wild. Blood and bits of skull and brain had splattered across his face. Spit flew from his lips as he spoke.

“You disgust me. You are traitors. You have chosen death. You have chosen betrayal. You are as weak as your father, Zahra, and the blood on your hands will be so much greater than any of his pathetic crimes. Everything that happens now is your fault. You have destroyed everything.”

“No!” I found my voice again. “Please, Adam, Adam, listen, you have to listen to me, you have to—”

He had ended the transmission.

Fragment