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“Then I’m not getting into that transport.”

He looked past me again, toward the docking level’s entrance. “For eleven minutes, I believed that was a choice you could safely make.”

My stomach tightened. “And now?”

“Approximately seven.”

I turned and studied the entrance.

Nothing.

No footsteps. No voices.

That almost made it worse.

“Who are they?” I asked.

“I do not know.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“Yes.”

“Who sent them?”

“I do not know that either.”

I stared at him. “You seem impressively uninformed for someone who acts like he knows everything.”

“I know enough.”

“Then tell me enough.”

He regarded me for a long moment.

Something shifted behind his eyes.

Decision.

“You are accused of removing restricted reproductive data from your laboratory.”

The words took a second to settle.

Then another.

“What?”

“Accessing, duplicating, and potentially transferring protected information.”

“I didn’t.” My voice came out louder than I meant it to.

“I know what you said.”

“No.” I stepped toward him. “You don’t get to say that like we’re discussing whether I forgot to return a sample tray. I did not steal anything.”

“I did not say you did.”

“You just said I’m accused of it.”