And Sagara had always suspected someone of plotting some sort of conspiracy on the ship. That the danger was internal: it was why he had activated ARGUS, why he was so suspicious of everyone, including her. He thought one of the crewmembers, or more, had the means and motive to sabotage the mission. At first he’d directed his scrutiny at the non-conscripted—Park—but then he changed his tune, eyeing instead those who were acting more suspiciously. Chanur. Chanur?

She began to pace. No, it was still too difficult to piece things together. She was just guessing wildly, flinging things at the wall to see what would stick. They were all acting with different puzzle pieces, different gaps in knowledge. They would never be able to assemble a bigger picture unless they came together. But now they were stuck, separated into cells and locked up with their own paranoia and unvoiced fears. Blind, deaf, and dumb, just where the stranger wanted them.

Even as she thought it, she heard someone tapping on the door. For a moment Park thought it was her own hand, absently still trying the lock—but the sound was coming from the hallway outside. She stiffened, but then told herself that a killer would never give her forewarning of his entrance. Not unless he was really deranged. Then she heard a familiar voice, very soft and muffled through the metal door: “Park?”

“Fulbreech!” How had he gotten out of his room?

At her answer the door slid open, and outlined in the light beyond was Fulbreech, broad-shouldered and warmly familiar. He saw her gaping at him and smiled. “You’re all right,” he said. He sounded breathless, as if he’d sprinted to get to her. Or maybe he was simply relieved.

She wanted to leap at him, but held herself back. “Where’s Sagara?”

Fulbreech glanced behind him, as if expecting to find the security officer lurking in the shadows with a dagger poised over his back. “In the bridge. He’s trying to get METIS up and running again.”

“How are you out of your room?”

He grinned, a little proud of himself. “I was the one who got the lights working,” he said, almost preening. “When they’d just brought you to the medical bay. This was before we found out about Wick. While I was tinkering around, trying to figure out what was wrong with METIS, I sort of—gave myself clearance to use the system freely. I did the same thing when we were in the escape pod, when we were going to go outside. Remember?”

She shook her head; that felt like an eternity ago. “You gave yourself full clearance?”

“It was sort of an accident,” Fulbreech admitted. “I ended up using Reimi’s credentials to make the system work with me.”

She blinked. One could do that? He’d had that ability this whole time?