“Major Hayes,” Captain Vance said. “Open the door.”

“The system is locked down from the central command, Captain,” Hayes called back. “I don’t have override authority for Sector Four.”

“I have the master keycard,” Vance said. “But we have a procedural issue to resolve before I open this room.”

Jake took a step closer to the door, his jaw tight.

“What procedural issue, Vance?” Jake asked.

“Your status, Captain,” Vance’s voice came through the small speaker grid beside the frame. “An official inquiry has been opened regarding your absence from your post overseas.”

“You know exactly why I was gone,” Jake said. “I was in a private medical facility recovering from injuries.”

“That is not what the official file says,” Vance replied.

“The file my father paid to have altered?” Jake asked.

“I deal in official documentation, Captain,” Vance said. “As of five minutes ago, your security clearance is temporarily suspended.”

Reyes swore under his breath, his eyes still fixed on his darkened screen.

“He’s fast,” Reyes muttered to me. “He knew exactly which administrative buttons to push.”

“What does the suspension mean for us?” I asked Reyes, my voice trembling.