Kandara, by contrast, was sitting straight-backed, fearsomely attentive from start to finish. “I had no idea Zagreus was a dark rendition site to begin with,” she said.

“History,” Yuri grunted. “The Conestoga asteroid went public with the penal colony’s existence three years later. Exactly as the project’s instigators always intended. And as a registered independent government, Conestoga couldn’t be penalized in any international court the way corporations could.”

“Government, my arse!” Callum said gruffly. “Conestoga was a chunk of valueless rock a hundred meters in diameter, in a trans-Jupiter orbit, with an automated industrial base that had a dormitory module bumped on. Total population: fifty.” I watched him eyeing the three assistants in the lounge, anxious for them to understand, to take his side. “Every one of them was a corporate lawyer.”

“Conestoga offered other Sol governments an exile destination for undesirables,” Yuri said. “Everyone agreed on an improved standard for the survival packages, and bam, the queue of convicts was suddenly six months long. It’s a tough life on Zagreus, but it works. The surveillance satellites show an expanding civilization. They’re even venturing beyond the canyon now, building pressurized domes out on the surface. We tamed the bastards.”

“Hoo-bloody-rah,” Callum said. “Do the satellites tell you how many people died in the process?”

“If it bothers you, offer them a new terraformed world. Or maybe open up one of your precious Utopial planets to the poor misunderstood princesses. No? There’s a surprise.”

Callum stood up. “Zagreus is not the way we should judge civilized progress. It’s a bloody disgraceful throwback. Education and a dignified standard of living is the true solution to elevate the poor and disenfranchised. Utopial society produces so few of what you class as exile-level criminals we don’t even exile them. They are removed from the general population, given a comfortable residence, and supported. That is our society’s triumph.” His glance swept around the Trail Ranger. “I don’t know what time zone you’re all from, but I’m off to bed.”

Yuri waited until he’d disappeared into the rear compartment. “Our judges don’t have to hand out so many exile sentences because the threat of Zagreus keeps people in line. Actually!”

Loi nodded, making sure his boss saw his approval.

“No, actually, it’s despicable,” Eldlund said, and sie stalked off back into the rear compartment. I wondered how sie was going to fit into a sleeping pod. They were all standard size, so…Slight oversight on our part there. Maybe sie’d stick hir legs out into the aisle for the night, and no doubt complain about bias and anti-omnia discrimination tomorrow.

“I think that’s it for me, too,” Kandara said.

“Not a bad idea,” Yuri conceded.

The others all made their way back to the sleeping pods. Sandjay connected me to the drivers. Bee Jain assured me we were making good time, and the Trail Ranger was running smoothly toward the alien ship. With that, I went to bed.

—