The copilot was right: the drones weren’t launching an attack. But they were clustering around Pilgrim 3 in a swarm. Two were joined by two more, and two more, every one of them racing out of the darkness at such a high speed it looked like they were aiming for impact, but stopping suddenly, with a quick, bright flare of reverse thrust. The drones were spheres of absorptive metal about a meter across, with short spines protruding from its surface like spikes. The ends of those spines glowed briefly as the thrusters fired. They looked like eyes, gleaming and metallic and watchful.

“I’ve never seen drones like this before,” Malachi said. “This is some serious dark project shit. Did you know SPEC has weapons that can move like that? Boudicca?” He looked at the pilot when she didn’t answer.

“No idea,” the pilot said. Boudicca. I was collecting their names one by one, and with it the knowing dread that they would not be saying them aloud if they cared that I heard. “SPEC doesn’t build weapons, remember? So they claim. I hope there are no surprises waiting for us.”

“There won’t be,” Zahra said. “And if there are, we’ll deal with them.”

I pressed my thumb and forefinger together, welcoming the faint distraction of the pinprick pain. None of them were looking at me, but still I schooled my expression. These people would only have gone through so much trouble—hijacking a shuttle, abducting me, hacking the security system—for one reason. They didn’t want something from my aunt. They wanted House of Wisdom.

“I hope you’re right,” the pilot said. She tapped on the shipwide communication system. “I know you’re all sitting pretty and doing as you’re told. You’re going to keep doing that as we go into a series of burns. If you try anything, those nice people with guns will shoot you.”

“I think they get the picture,” Malachi said. He flinched when the pilot glared at him, but he didn’t look away.

“Let’s make sure they keep getting it,” the pilot said. “If this doesn’t—” Another alert caught her eye. “Shit.”

“What?” Zahra said. “What’s wrong?”

“Orbital Control. They’re contacting us.”

I felt a sudden burst of hope.

“You said they wouldn’t notice this soon,” Zahra said.

“We don’t know what they’ve noticed,” Boudicca said. “Get him out of here—wait, no, let’s keep him here, in case we need him. But you keep your mouth shut, or we will kill every single person back there. Got it?”