For the second time that day, Tyra found herself slipping out of Dante’s room. At least this time there was no one lurking in the corridor, and she made it to her quarters without seeing anyone.

He’d kept his promise and given her three mind-blowing orgasms before he kissed her goodbye and left for his meeting, still doing up his uniform as he hurried out the door.

She freshened up quickly and then sat down to review the file Eric had sent over. Nico’s entire life was summarized in two heartbreakingly brief pages, so it didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for. When she spotted it, she sighed in relief. Nico’s chip had been inserted when he was an infant. It allowed him to be geo-tracked and could be scanned for identity purposes, but there was nothing in his file to indicate it would be dangerous to remove it. At least, not for Nico.

If she did this, she’d be tampering with corporate property. She could be brought up on charges, lose her reputation, end her career, or most likely, experience all three outcomes. The risks were high, which is why she wasn’t going to share her plan with anyone else. If Bellex came after her for this, Dante and the rest of the team would be absolved, and Nova Force’s reputation wouldn’t be tarnished. If the others knew her intentions, they’d want to help, and they’d done enough for her and Nico already.

“Computer, where is Nico Martinez currently located?”

The Malora’s AI answered immediately. “That being is currently in the mess.”

Of course he was. With everyone busy, he was probably enjoying an impromptu feast. The crew quarters, the med-bay, and the galley and attached mess, were all off-limits to the Bellex visitors, protecting Nico and the research she’d been doing from prying eyes. Eric had the ship’s AI watching their guests to ensure they didn’t enter an area they weren’t supposed to. So far, they hadn’t attempted it, though she’d heard from the others the pair complained non-stop about the restrictions. They also made repeated complaints about the food, their lodgings, and the fact they’d only been granted the use of a single service droid each.

She headed to the mess and found Nico enjoying an ice cream sundae slathered in whipped cream and awash in a sea of caramel. He was dwarfed by the metal furnishings that filled the room, all of it built to accommodate full grown adults. His feet dangled nearly a foot off the floor, and his shoulders barely reached the tabletop.

“Hi, Dr. Li.” He waved at her with a sauce-splattered spoon, most of his face hidden behind his dessert.

“Hi, Nico. Hungry again?”

“No.” He answered honestly. “But I don’t know how long I get to stay here, so I’m eating all the stuff I can while there’s still time.”

She wanted to hug him and promise him he’d always be safe. That there was no need to eat until he burst because he might never get another chance. “The team isn’t done their investigation yet, so I think you’ve got a few more days at least.”

He put down the spoon. “Yeah? That’s good, ‘cause I don’t think I can eat the rest of this.”

“How about we put it in the freezer for later? I thought you might like to come to the med-bay with me.”

“You gonna run more tests?” He asked, looking doubtful. She’d done a full workup of him the first day they’d come on board, and he’d quickly grown bored with all the scans.

“Just one. I want to show you something, and then ask you a question.”

“Something wrong with me?” he asked. It amazed her how quickly his vocabulary had changed. He spoke more clearly now, and while his words were still accented by the patois of this world, it wasn’t as pronounced as it had been.

“Nothing’s wrong. Come on, let me show you what I’m talking about.” She held out her hand, and her heart swelled as he hopped off the bench and took hold of her without hesitation. “Okay. But first, we should put the ice cream away.”

The last time she had scanned him, she’d shown him the results as a holographic display, explaining what all the readings meant and even showing him a digital model of his heart beating in real time. This time, she didn’t run the display at all, and she kept her data tablet turned away from him while the imager did its work. She didn’t know how he’d react when she told him about the chip, and she didn’t want him figuring it out before she could explain. When the scan was done, she prepped the display to show a model of his head and shoulders but didn’t activate it,.

“You ready to see yourself?” She asked.

“Yeah. Can I see my heart beating again? That was cool.”

“Not this time.” She moved the imager out of the way and moved in right beside him, placing her hand on his thin shoulder. “Before I show you this, I need to ask you something. Did anyone ever tell you what this mark on your neck means?” She reached up to gently brush her finger over the small, triangular tattoo on his neck.

“It means I’m a Bellex ‘ployee.”

“The word is employee. And yes, that’s what it represents.”

The boy nodded. “When I get older, they’ll come get me and train me to work in one of the factories. I seen some of the others who got taken. They say they get to eat food tabs and sleep in real beds and even get clean clothes to wear.”

“Is that what you want to do when you get older? Work in a factory?”

Nico shrugged. “That’s the only choice I got.”

“Maybe not. But if you wanted to do something else, I’d need to take that mark off your neck.”

His eyes widened. “Then I wouldn’t belong to Bellex anymore?”

“Something like that.” She turned on the display. “This is you. Do you see that object in your neck? Right about where your mark is?” She pointed to the tiny, circular object the computer had shaded a brilliant yellow.

“What’s that?” He leaned forward, his eyes locked on the image as his fingers probed the area under his tattoo. “I don’t feel nothing there.”

“It’s a microchip. It’s too deep and too small for you to feel with your fingers, but it’s there.”

“What does it do? Am I a cyborg? Does it give me powers like them?”

“I’m afraid not. What it does is carry your information. Your name. Your birthdate. And it tells Bellex where you are.”

“It knows my name?”

“It has that information, yes. Your name is Nicolas Martinez. It has other information about you, too. Like the names of your parents. Would you like me to give you a copy of your information, Nico?”

He nodded, looking slightly dazed. “I’d like that. And maybe a picture of my parents. I don’t remember what they looked like. Do you think that chip thing has that?”

“If it doesn’t, I think I know where we can get one.” She’d ask Eric to search Bellex’s files. If a picture of Nico’s parents existed, he’d find it.

He looked at the model again. “It’s awful tiny to have so much important stuff on it.”

“It is. If you wanted to leave Bellex 3, it would have to be removed. I’d like to do that for you right now, but only if you want me to.”

He frowned. “Will it hurt?”

“Not even a little bit. I’ll have to put you to sleep though. You’d need to stay very still, and I know you don’t like that.”

“I get all itchy if I has to keep still too long,” he agreed.

“Right. So, you’ll go to sleep right here, and I’ll take the chip out. Once that’s done, I’ll use a tissue regenerator to fix the little hole in your neck. You remember how those work? I fixed your arm with it the day you saved Dr. Castille and me from those bad men.”

“I remember. That was fun to watch.” He touched the mark on his neck again. “When I wake up, no more mark?”

“No more mark. No more chip. But only if you agree. This is your choice, Nico.”

He straightened up, and his expression turned solemn. At that moment, she could see a hint of what he’d look like as a grown man. She wanted that man to have a life beyond that of an indentured slave.

“Take it out. I don’t like them knowing where I am all the time. Maybe if they can’t find me, I won’t have to work for them.”

“That’s my hope, too.” She wrapped her arms around his thin shoulders and gave him a hug. To her surprise, he hugged her back and didn’t let go for a long time. Her life had never brought her to a place where she’d considered having children. She was at peace with that but holding Nico, she briefly wondered what that life might have been like. Fulfilling, sure, but in a different way than the path she’d chosen.

After everything that had happened this mission, she wasn’t sure it was a path she wanted to stay on. Her team – her friends – were dead. Two people she trusted had betrayed her. Boundless had been compromised. It would be better for them if she stepped away, especially after what she was about to do

She stayed with Nico until he let go of her, enjoying the moment of closeness. When it was over, she prepped for the procedure, keeping up a running chatter the whole time. When she was ready, she had Nico lie down and close his eyes. She held his hand as she pressed the injector to his upper arm and administered the anesthetic. He was asleep in seconds.

“Computer, activate sterility field and initiate surgical protocols for med-bay.” With the model projected above the sleeping child to help guide her, she picked up a laser scalpel, made a small incision and began the process of removing the chip from Nico’s neck.

It didn’t take her long to locate the chip. Removing it took significantly longer because she didn’t know what sensors the tiny device might have, and she didn’t want to inadvertently alert Bellex to the fact Nico’s chip had been removed.

The extraction was done slowly and carefully, using a set of field-generating forceps that created a tiny bubble around the chip, allowing her to ease it out of his body. Once it was out, she had the ship’s AI place a temporary shield around the object until she could get it sealed into a signal-blocking container.

Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and return to Nico. It wouldn’t take long to close the small incision and inject him with a small dose of healing accelerant. When he woke up again, he’d be one step closer to freedom.

Dante arrived for the briefing with a minute to spare, though he’d jogged the length of the ship to do it. He paused in the corridor, brushed a bit of dust off the front of his uniform, and managed to slow his breathing before activating the door and entering the room.

Dax and Trinity were already seated, but there was no sign of Downs or Everest, yet.

“Sorry about before,” Dax said as he gestured for Dante to take a seat. “I didn’t realize you were with the doctor. We’ve got a few minutes before the others get here. I needed some time to get you up to speed on the plan.”

“Not a problem. I’m still figuring out how to make this thing with Tyra work. I mean, Nova Force is my family, but Tyra…”

Trinity beamed. “Is an amazing woman who deserves your time and attention, too. Believe me, we understand.”

Dax gave her an affectionate smile. “Yes, we do. It’s not easy to juggle it all sometimes, but it can be done.”

“Usually with minimal bloodshed,” Trin added.

“Well, if it comes to that, at least Tyra knows how to put me back together again. Fraxx knows she’s had to do it enough times already.”

They laughed and changed the topic to the upcoming meeting. Dax laid out his approach and objectives in succinct terms, checking the time more than once to make sure he got the pertinent information to Dante before the meeting began.

The scheduled start time came and went with no sign of the Bellex representatives. “They’re playing games with us,” Trinity muttered in frustration.

“Annoying, but not surprising. I’m not sure how the corporations actually get anything done with all the petty politics they indulge in.” Dax leaned back in his chair with a disgruntled sigh. “Computer, please confirm the location of Dr. Downs and Mr. Everest.”

“Both beings are currently in the private mess assigned to visitors, Commander Rossi.”

“Of course they are. Probably making last minute plans about how to handle this meeting,” Trinity said.

“Computer, please notify me when Dr. Downs and Mr. Everest are 10 meters away from my location.”

“Yes, Commander Rossi,” the ship’s AI replied.

The three of them spent the next while chatting quietly, discussing the mission, their theories, and concerns. Most of those concerns were about Nico. None of them wanted him to wind up back in Bellex’s hands. If this went the way they all suspected it would and Nico wound up testifying against the corporation that owned him, he’d need more than just his freedom from Bellex. He’d need a place, and people, willing and able to protect him.

Eventually, Downs and Everest made an appearance. Neither of them even acknowledged their tardy arrival, never mind apologizing for making everyone wait. Downs looked even dourer than she had during his meeting with her only that morning, though Everest seemed as affable as ever. He selected the seat directly across from Dante, and as he sat, Dante was struck by a sense of familiarity.

He’d had Eric pull Everest’s company file earlier that day. His parents had been mid-level Bellex employees, both deceased. Everest had scored well on his qualifying exams and been selected for executive training. He was moving up the ranks with impressive speed, but so far, none of his assignments had taken him outside the shipyards of this system, and Dante had never been to the Bellex system before this mission.

Downs shifted her chair, putting a little extra distance between herself and Everest. She set down a data pad and looked squarely at Dante, her lips drawn into a tight, disapproving line. “Why is the sergeant here? I’ve already spoken to him today. In fact, I wanted to relay to you how uncooperative he was.”

Dante folded his arms across his chest and stared at Downs while he waited for Dax to speak. This was the commander’s show. Dante was here for one reason—to look intimidating.

Dax lifted an eyebrow. “I reviewed the footage of the interview, and I stand by Sergeant Strak’s responses. You were informed from the beginning there were some elements of this investigation you would not have access to. By asking about matters you already knew were off limits, it might be construed that you have violated the agreement that allows you to be here at all.”

“It does not! We were led to believe that you and your team would be cooperating fully with us. Instead, we’ve been stonewalled, kept in the dark about the status of the investigation, and denied access to the med-bay, which we know is where you’re conducting tests on the sample of cobalt you obtained. I was sent here because I’m the best equipped to run those experiments, and you won’t even let me into that part of the ship.”

“Bellex might consider you the best equipped, but my superiors elected to have Dr. Li manage that part of the investigation. She is more than qualified, as well as being an unbiased outsider.”

Downs snorted. “Unbiased? Really? It’s come to my attention that at least one member of her team was a corporate spy.”

“How did you learn about that?” Trinity demanded.

“You’re not the only one investigating what happened to Dr. Li and her team. The local Corp-Sec team uncovered the truth and let me know, since it seemed Nova Force didn’t feel like sharing that piece of information.”

“That’s one of the reasons I called this meeting, actually. You’ll find it listed on the agenda you were sent.” Dax leaned forward and pushed a data tablet across the table toward Downs. “The other reason we’re here is to discuss Dr. Li’s findings.” He tapped the tablet before withdrawing his hand. “I’d like here your explanation as to how Bellex 3, a planet solely owned and controlled by Bellex Corp, became the testing ground for a mind-altering drug with alarming similarities to a recreational pharma known as crimson.”

“A testing ground? Crimson? Is this the narrative Nova Force has spun to try to put Bellex out of business?” Downs snatched up the tablet and started reading, her brow furrowing deeper with each line she perused.

Dax responded while she was still reading. “Nova Force doesn’t try to put corporations out of business. We investigate crimes and suspicious incidents. If we find evidence of wrongdoing, we proceed accordingly. Our mandate is to ensure the corporations obey the laws as set out in the Unified Galactic Agreement. We don’t spin narratives, we enforce the law.”

She set the tablet down on the table hard enough it clattered. “I don’t see it that way. I refuse to accept these findings until I see the supporting documentation. Then I want to replicate these myself to verify them.”

“The data was provided to you as a courtesy. Whether you accept it or not, our findings have already been sent to Nova Force Headquarters. Furthermore, now that we have sufficient cause, I’m formally requesting that you allow us to take blood samples from a randomly selected group of Bellex workers so we can screen it for cobalt.”

“This is unacceptable. You’ve been moving so slowly on this investigation I wasn’t sure you were accomplishing anything at all, and now, suddenly, you’re fast-tracking the process and giving us no time to process what’s happened or respond.”

“We’ve been moving as fast as we can. Investigations, done properly, take time to piece together.”

Everest cleared his throat, then spoke in a gratingly cheerful tone. “Dr. Downs, We’re all on the same side, here. I’m as frustrated as you are, but I think you can agree that everyone has been working hard to get this investigation done the right way.”

Her reaction was surprisingly understated given how agitated she’d been only a few seconds before. “Oh. Well, yes. Of course we’re on the same side, but this could have been done much quicker if I’d been allowed to do the job I came here to do.”

Everest replied before Dax could, trying once again to diffuse the situation. “Speed is not always a virtue, Dr. Downs. Rushing leads to mistakes, and mistakes are messy.”

The others kept talking, but Dante wasn’t listening anymore. He was staring at Everest and replaying the last words he’d said. Words he had heard before. The voices droned as he raised his hand, using it to block out Everest’s face while leaving the rest of his body visible. Son of a fraxxing bitch.

He was on his feet the next second, lunging across the table to grab Everest by the shirt and hauled him off his feet. “You! I knew you were familiar! You bastard, you jammed an explosive chip into my neck. Did you think I’d forget you after that?”

The room erupted into chaos. Downs screamed and scuttled backward, Trinity dove into the fray, and Dax barked out an order that overrode Dante’s fury. “Put Mr. Everest down and explain yourself, Sergeant!”

Dante wanted to tear Everest’s head off, but he knew better than to disobey his commander. He let go of the smaller man, dropping him onto the table with a satisfying thunk before turning to face Dax, coming to attention, and snapping off a crisp salute. “Apologies for the disruption, sir. I’ve been trying to figure out where I know this man from since I first saw him. It didn’t hit me until just now. I recognized the phrase he used, sir. Word for word. It’s the same thing my abductor said while I was held prisoner on the planet.”

Everest had struggled back to his feet while Dante explained, then backed as far away from him as the room allowed. “I was on this ship during that event. It couldn’t have been me. Your entire crew is my alibi!”

“I can’t explain it, sir. But I know he was there. Though, I got the impression the man I met on the surface was older…but it’s the same man. The voice. The hair. The build. I’m certain it’s him.”

“You’d better be. You’re putting your career on the line here, Strak. And so am I.” Dax turned to Everest. “Chad Everest, you are hereby taken into Nova Force custody.”

“For what? I’ve done nothing. Nothing! I was here with you during the entire event on Bellex 3. This is insane.” He turned to his cohort, and Dante caught an edge of command to his next words. “Debba, tell them this isn’t acceptable.”

Dax raised a brow, which told Dante he’d caught the shift in tone, too.

Downs didn’t react as if she’d been given an order, however. Instead, she stepped away from Everest and shrugged. “As you pointed out earlier, we are all on the same side, Chad. We both know you were on the Malora the whole time, so the sooner we cooperate with this farcical demand, the sooner you’ll be exonerated.”

“Are you sure that’s the best course of action?” Everest asked in a lowly, silky smooth tone that set Dante’s teeth on edge.

The doctor’s gaze dropped to Everest’s hands. His finger was resting lightly atop a slender band of polished silver. Another fragment of Dante’s memories clicked into place. He’d seen that band before, too. “Put your hands on the tabletop right now, Mr. Everest.”

Everest didn’t look happy, but he complied with the order and grudgingly set his hands on the table. The moment he did, Trinity stepped in behind him and looked at Dante. “What did you see?”

“That band on his left wrist. I don’t know what it is, exactly, but I think it’s some kind of weapon.” He glanced over to Downs. “You know what that is, don’t you?”

She did her best, but her micro-expressions revealed the truth before she uttered a word. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Trinity removed the object from Everest’s wrist with care and handed it to Dax, who examined it briefly and then turned his attention to his two guests. “Dr. Downs, I assume you will want to notify your superiors what has happened here. You may do that now, if you wish, while Lieutenant West and I have a word with Mr. Everest, here.”

“I uh. Of course. They will not be pleased about this. Not at all. Your treatment of Mr. Everest and I will be reported.”

“I’m sure it will.” Dax didn’t look concerned by the news. They’d heard it all before. Every time one of the corporations got caught breaking the law, they went on the attack.

“Sir, I’d like permission to be part of the questioning of Mr. Everest,” Dante said.

“Permission denied. You’re to give this to Ensign Erben for safekeeping.” He handed over the metal band. “Then I need a supplemental report from you detailing your actions today and why you felt they were necessary.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Dismissed, Sergeant.”

Dante nodded and turned to Downs. “After you, ma’am.”

He kept his eye on her as they left. She didn’t look at Everest even once, and as they left the room, he saw her shoulders sag. He didn’t know what the fraxx was going on with these two, but it was clear things were not as they appeared. One day, they’d have a nice, simple, straightforward investigation where the motive was obvious and no one lied. Today was not that day.