“Let’s go,” I said.

I swung my legs over the side and began to descend the vertical rungs.

The air inside was warm, thick with the smell of hydraulic fluid, amine, and stale coffee.

At the bottom of the ladder, the passageway was narrow and painted a stark white.

A junior officer was standing near the control room entrance, holding a clipboard.

“Ma’am?” he asked, his brow furrowing.

“Who authorized you to come aboard?”

“Dr. Sarah Mitchell,” I said, showing him my credentials.

“Where is the communications suite?”

“It’s off-limits during pre-launch,” the officer said, stepping into my path.

“Get out of the way, Lieutenant,” Hayes said, descending the ladder behind me.

His imposing frame filled the narrow corridor.

The lieutenant blinked, recognizing Hayes’s rank and the intensity in his eyes.

“Is there a problem, Chief?” the lieutenant asked.

“We have a security breach,” Hayes said. “Lead us to comms.”

“The door is locked,” the lieutenant said, pointing down the aft passageway.

“The duty officer went inside ten minutes ago.”

“Who is the duty officer?” I asked.

“Lieutenant Commander Vance,” the lieutenant replied.