It was getting personal. “I have no idea who you are other than somebody on the other end of the circuit. I take direction from Dr. Blanchard. If you want me to go back—”

“Hutchins, be aware that you will also be subject to prosecution. Now do as I say.”

Derek was standing and watching her with a desperate expression taking over his face, signaling, No, please don’t cooperate.

“I’m sorry, Doctor. My obligation is to Dr. Blanchard.” She paused a moment, making up her mind. And finally: “Eiferman out.” She signaled Barry to shut the comm system down.

“Thank you, Priscilla,” said Derek. “I know that wasn’t easy for you. But you’ll be okay. I have friends in high places.”

“Well, at the moment, I think you have one less.”

UNIVERSAL NEWS NETWORK

Wednesday, February 27, 2256

BLIZZARD THREATENS NORTHEAST NAU

Complete Coverage on The Weather Channel

ZIENKOW SAYS IMMORTALITY NOT OUT OF REACH

Two Species on Oracle III Apparently Live Indefinitely

CONSERVATIVE DEBATES SEEK TO MEND

PARTY FRACTURES

Leah Aronda Hosts First Round

RUSSIAN-INDIAN COLLABORATION HELPS

ETHIOPIAN CHILDREN

Brackov Humanity Awards This Weekend

Thousands of African Kids Benefit from Electronic Schools

A YOUNG WINSTON CHURCHILL FALLS INTO THE HANDS OF PROFESSOR MORIARTY ON

THE WATSON FILES

Tomorrow at Eight on Mystery Channel

LOOK OUT, LOUIE STARTS NEW SEASON MONDAY

Award-Winning Comedy Back for

Sixteenth Season

WILLIAM CASTOR RETURNS TO SATURDAY NIGHT FOLLIES

Repeats Iconic Role as First Gentleman

DOSTOYEVSKY IN THE MODERN AGE

Harry Corbin Stars in The Brothers Karamazov

Twelve-Episode Series Starts Tomorrow

LIFE ON OTHER WORLDS

Science Wednesday Visits Teegarden III

Say Hello to the Dragons

DESTROY EARTH: TWELVE WAYS ALIENS

MIGHT ATTACK

Documentary on Black Cat Tonight at Nine

EIFERMAN ON WAY TO CALLIOPE

Effort to Cancel Deep-Space Mission Fails

8.

Granting that we had both the will and the sense to choose our friends well, how few of us have the power . . . Nearly all our associations are determined by chance, or necessity; and restricted within a narrow circle.

—John Ruskin, “Sesame and Lilies, I,” 1865

They were adrift in the unbounded jet-black night that was the natural realm of the Locarno drive. No stars, no light of any kind, not even a sense of movement. The windows were dark with no impression of depth, no suggestion that they were traveling through a vacuum with any hope of arriving somewhere. The void simply seemed to wrap itself around the Eiferman. When Hutch turned on the navigation lights, they did not penetrate as far as they should have. The darkness seemed more than simply an absence of light. It was a tangible force.