Miles Kieth relaxed in the dim red light of his room. While the soldiers had been escorting people around, he’d been more or less left alone to return to his quarters. Miles thought about trying to get some sleep, but he was wide awake. He was anxious.

Patterns and outcomes. Ensign Williams had told him that when she nearly killed him. That was how the Free Exchange worked. Each individual action could be unpredictable isolated from the others, but over time they formed the outcomes. Father Soren might have been able to throw a wrench into the works—the Exchange clearly hadn’t calculated for him—but that could only last for so long.

Even now, Miles knew that whatever plan against Captain Singh was already in motion. The gears were turning. Anything could happen in the next twenty-four hours, but the outcome would be a singular one: the Free Exchange would get what it wants.

He picked up his cowboy hat and sat on the bed. Holding the brown hat in his hands, it seemed heavier than usual. The solution should’ve been blindingly simple. Don’t act like yourself. Choose something different. But things were never as simple as that. People didn’t change as much as they thought they did.

Even if you acted differently, you were still the same person. You still had the same dreams and goals. The same worldview. The same personality. Of course, you could choose to act differently, but the individual choices didn’t matter. The person was the same and thus the pattern remained intact for the Free Exchange to control.

To truly change, one had to be as a different person altogether. Then the pattern would change, and the outcome would change along with it. Suddenly, all the precise science in the world collapsed, and maybe another choice could truly be made.

He snorted as he put the hat aside.

As much as he loved the idea of playing the hero, saving the Andromedan civilization and all, old habits died hard. Despite his best efforts, the Captain’s plan set fire to old hopes, and the same thoughts crept back into his head. Miles still dreamed of being free from the Free Exchange. Once Captain Singh set the derelict off, he had every intention of being aboard it. He didn’t want to return to the Milky Way. Miles would go off into the vastness of space. Somewhere so far that they could never drag him back.

That dream was what he was. There was no choice in that. He couldn’t just give that up, even after what Father Soren had said. But something has to change. If things continued as they were, the Free Exchange would win. Something had to change… and maybe it was him.

Miles noticed out of the corner of his eye that the door to his room was opening. Marines? No, there was no reason that they would stop by his quarters. He lifted his head and his eyes widened as he saw who was in the doorframe. It’s impossible.

“How… You—” he sputtered nonsensically.

Glen Tannis warmly smiled back. “Hello, Mr. Kieth.”

The bureaucrat had changed from his usual suit and tie, instead opting for the civilian uniform of the Hyperion. But there was no mistaking that face. That arrogant smile that Miles had thought he’d left behind in the Milky Way.

“The proximity torpedo was clever thinking.” The man stuck his hands in his pockets and walked inside. “I had to create a localized electrical pulse to jam up the sensor for a minute. It bought me enough time to get past the door, but…” The man tsked. “It was nothing a top of the line gravity shield couldn’t handle.”

“That container was a stasis pod.” Miles breathed. “But someone would’ve needed to let you out.”

“Not necessarily—the keypad was in case of emergency for Mia’s sake. I was never put under like the rest of the crew. My mind was wirelessly linked to the systems of the ship. Nothing too dramatic to be detectible obviously. Just listening in on the action and control over a few minor systems.”

“But why are you are here? Why go through all that trouble?”

“A final failsafe, Mr. Kieth. To correct for any minor deviations that might have appeared along the way. Such as my companion’s untimely demise.”

Miles reached for his gun, but Glen merely raised his hand. “Please, you’ve already gone through that song and dance. I would prefer to speak man to man. If not…” Glen lifted his other hand just out of his pocket, holding the same black remote that Ensign Williams once had.

“What do you want?” Miles groaned.

“Passage to the derelict. Unfortunately, I am not skilled in piloting a shuttle.”

Then that was the last thing that Miles was going to do. However, he couldn’t voice his objection now. Any disobedience and Tannis could turn him into a puppet. He would try to lead Tannis to the marines—or even failing that—sabotage the shuttle.

“And what exactly do you want aboard the derelict?” Miles knew the bureaucrat wasn’t likely to tell him anything, but he figured it was worth a shot.

Glen shrugged. “To ensure the FTL engines are repaired.”

“Really?” Miles’ voice didn’t conceal his suspicion.

“Commander Terese has… sympathizers on the derelict. They’ll sabotage the ship to force the Captain to go along with the gravity drive solution.”

“Don’t you want the ship to go back to the Exchange? I thought she was working with you.”

“Working for us. Not necessarily with us. It’s about counterbalance, Mr. Kieth. Once Captain Singh is out of the picture, she’ll hold all the cards. I need control of the derelict and insurance to make sure she doesn’t do anything drastic on the voyage home. She won’t risk losing her toy.”

Miles couldn’t hide the disdain from his eyes. It was just like it always was. Glen Tannis forcing him to do his dirty work with a gun to the back. Glen saw the look on Miles’ face and shook his head.

“You think I want to force you to do anything?” he asked, almost reading Miles’ mind. “How long have we known each other? You must know me better than that.”

“You’re holding a remote that controls my body.” Miles spat.

Glen chuckled. “Oh, that was just to keep you from shooting me on sight.” He dropped the remote on the floor and smashed it with his shoe.

Miles looked on, shocked, as the black device became a shattered shell of circuitry. Glen Tannis crossed his arms. “I don’t prefer these crude devices. They don’t provide certainty. Too often technology fails, it subverts our expectations, it malfunctions. There are far cleaner ways to get work done.”

Miles’ arm whipped his pistol and pointed it directly at Tannis. His finger was on the trigger. It wasn’t like last time. Nothing could stop him.

Glen looked directly into the barrel of the pistol unflinchingly and sighed. “You don’t want to do that.”

“Try me.”

It could be over so quickly. One twitch of the muscle and the man who had ruled his life would be a corpse on the floor. He could do it. He would do it. All that it took was for him to want it. But yet the finger stayed right where it was.

“If I may put words to your doubts,” Glen Tannis said as he took a step forward. “You know that the plan against Singh is already in motion. Neither you nor the Captain can stop it. The only question is… where does Miles Kieth come out afterward?”

“Why do things always have to be so complicated with you!?” Miles almost shouted at the man. “You could’ve had your perfect crew. Your highly trained professionals. Why us!?”

“What you call perfect, I call simplistic. Encountering the unknown meant diversity of all sorts. Otherwise, the external mechanism of what you found could’ve played against our favor. A highly loyal crew would not have been a good idea when confronting forces that might throw that question into loyalty. Such as if the Andromedans proved to be a better civilization than ours. Better a dynamic environment created to be both flexible and resilient in its outcome.”

“That you win.” Miles’ voice shook.

Glen raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Kieth, we’ve known each other long enough for me to be frank with you.”

“I doubt that.” Miles snorted in disbelief.

“But let me be honest anyway with you for a second.” Glen continued, ignoring the remark. “Why do you oppose the Free Exchange? Are we really so evil? We keep an order of the galaxy in perpetuity. An order which will preserve humanity for the rest of time. Just because we bloody our hands with the innocent sometimes does not change this. Without our balance, humanity might go extinct. After all, the Andromedans nearly did.”

“So we’re caged then. No better than mindless cattle. How is there any dignity without freedom?”

“You are no less free than any man born before the Free Exchange. Just because the science hadn’t been perfected never meant the physical laws weren’t set in stone. Instead of the Free Exchange, your master would’ve been a cold and uncaring universe. Tell me, would you really want that instead?”

“I’m my own master.” Miles shot back.

“Then you accept it is your choice that you haven’t fired the gun yet,” Glen noted.

Miles glanced down at the gun. His finger was still clenched on the trigger. A single twitch could set it off, and yet he didn’t. He couldn’t explain why.

“It’s the reason you’ve worked with us for all these years,” Glen explained. “The reason you set on this dangerous mission to begin with. I consider it your most virtuous quality, Mr. Kieth.”

“What?” Miles angrily retorted.

Glen put two fingers on the barrel and slowly lowered the gun. “You’re a man of hope. You will play the long odds even if the game is rigged against you. Even if it means going up against the impossible. Even if it means staring down the barrel of destiny—whether it be the universe or the Free Exchange. And you know in your heart that Singh loses… and so that leaves me.”

Miles flicked his wrist and fired the gun. There was a crack, and a bullet buried into the metal wall. Its direction was just inches away from Tannis’ face, but the man still didn’t flinch. He only smiled and shook his head.

“Where did that fit into your plans?” Miles pointed the gun at him again. “I didn’t aim. One wrong movement, and you would’ve died.”

Glen shrugged. “Then I would’ve made a messy corpse and the world would’ve carried on. But perhaps it was my mistake to lead with that. So, let’s talk about your reward.”

The bureaucrat’s eyes trailed past Miles toward the window of the room. He couldn’t help but follow the gaze. The Hyperion rested a few miles away from the derelict, but the Andromedan vessel could still be seen clearly. The ancient ship floating silently above the swirling gas giant.

“I do recall promising you the fastest ship in the galaxy,” Glen spoke softly. “Would that be good enough for you?”

Miles couldn’t take his eyes off the vessel. It was so close to him. That freedom was sitting right there and yet it was just out of reach. “You wouldn’t ever give it to me.” He breathed, trying to keep himself level headed.

“Even you must know, we’re only interested in the contents of the vessel. Once we’ve removed the sphere and scanned all the appropriate technology, I see no reason not to hand the ship over to you. Leave the galaxy. Go wherever your heart takes you. It doesn’t matter to us.”

Miles turned around and pointed the gun again. “You lie. You always lie. There’s some trick I’m not seeing. Some way to drag me back.”

Glen gave a disappointed look. “You’ve also always known us to be pragmatic. What reason could you think of where we would decide the strip the vessel away from you? Especially since it’s your intent to leave us alone?”

“That doesn’t matter.” Miles pressed the gun forward. “You always have an angle.”

Glen rolled his eyes. “Then shoot me. My science did not stop you from blowing a hole in the wall.”

Miles shot the gun again. The bullet passed inches away from Glen’s face. He shot again and again. Bullets dotting around Glen’s body, each one passing dangerously close to his flesh. Glen put his hands over his ears as multiple loud cracks sounded in quick succession. Miles stopped after the seventh.

“Are you done!?” Glen shouted. “Because my ears are ringing!”

“It was to prove a point.” Miles slowly lowered the gun again.

Tannis might have believed that Miles was a simple tool. That the pilot was so utterly gullible that the slimy bureaucrat could walk into his room and make him a puppet again. Things would not be that simple.

He thought about warning the Captain and handing Tannis over. But the bureaucrat wouldn’t have come here unless he was absolutely certain that he had an ultimatum. Either Miles allowed the derelict to fall into Commander Terese’s hands, or he took a risk and went with Tannis’ plan. Any other middle ground left too much uncertainty in the air. There was nothing he could do—at least not on the Hyperion.

There was not a chance that Miles was going to deliver the derelict back to the Free Exchange, but right now, Tannis had a plan. That meant Miles at least had a safe ride to the Andromedan vessel and he could put a bullet in Tannis’ brain the second they landed. Not to mention, stop whatever plan Commander Terese had aboard the vessel. Miles wouldn’t kill Glen Tannis. Not yet anyway.

As soon as we land. He privately vowed. Until then, the false outburst would make it look convincing that Tannis had won. Miles would act the fool, and this time it would be Tannis who lost.

“Say I… agree to this. What’s the next step?” Miles reluctantly lowered the gun.

“I have my own access codes to get around the security checkpoints. The problem is the shuttle bay.”

“You think it’s going to be guarded?” Miles asked.

“Captain Singh is not a man to be trifled with. I’d bet money he set up a squad before the lockdown to make sure no tried escaping. But the marines trust you, I don’t doubt you will be able to convince them.”

“And failing that?” Miles knew Tannis never went into a plan without contingencies.

Glen shrugged his shoulders. “I still have some access to the systems. A minor malfunction in the airlock would be able to vent our problem away.”

Miles got a sick feeling in his stomach. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. But what about when the Captain sees us leaving the Hyperion? He’s not just going to let us fly over there.”

Glen’s smile widened. “A problem that can be remedied with some help from our Chief Engineer.”