“He said he had to run a final diagnostics check on the secure satellite uplink.”

“Vance isn’t on the deployment roster,” Hayes said, his voice dropping.

“He said he was a last-minute replacement from the squadron staff,” the lieutenant said.

His voice was growing anxious.

We hurried down the narrow passageway, our shoulders brushing against the bundles of cables lining the ceiling.

The door to the communications room was at the end of the hall.

It was a heavy, circular steel pressure door with a manual locking wheel in the center.

I grabbed the wheel and tried to turn it.

It didn’t budge.

“It’s dogged down from the inside,” I said, applying more pressure.

“Vance!” Hayes shouted, pounding his fist against the steel door.

The metal produced a dull, heavy thud.

“Open this door! This is Chief Hayes!”

There was no response from inside.

Through the small, thick glass viewing port, the room was dark.

The only light came from the blue and green glow of the server racks.

I pressed my face against the glass.

I could see the silhouette of a man sitting in front of the primary transmitter console.