The image on the screen froze for a count of three and then dissolved into a pixilated mess.

Humphries tapped the screen again, and it went dark.

"When did this come in?"

No answer from either of them.

"This morning? Just now?"

Humphries lowered his gaze and shook his head. "Three days ago."

Annie took a step toward the man who was, on paper at least, her boss. He reeled back as she approached. "You knew about this, and you didn't think to tell me until now?"

"Orders, Captain Scott," said the other man-who hadn't introduced himself-speaking for the first time. "No one is to know about it. Other than the council heads, few do."

Annie scratched her head.

Who the hell is this guy?

"So, what now? You expect me to scrub the trip?"

"That's your call. As always. I'm afraid in this matter you can't even consult with your company. You get to know what happened, but for now, that's it. It's classified."

"Great."

"Odds are they made their point with the attack, and they moved on."

"'Odds are'?" Annie echoed. She whistled as she exhaled.

"Probably retaliation for Delgato's trial and conviction," Humphries said.

Annie considered that for a moment.

"You know I love to gamble, but this...?"

"Like I said. It's your call."

She raised a hand to end the conversation.

"Not an option, Humphries. I'm going. I just hate surprises."

And now she saw Humphries glance at the man standing next to him.

She knew another surprise was coming.

Annie stood there, not saying another word.

Let Humphries bring it up.

"Okay. You leave in less than an hour. One more thing, though. This is Bill Nahara."

Annie still said nothing. She had a feeling she wouldn't like where this was going.

"He arrived on the shuttle just now. He's going with you."

"Why?"

"World Council orders, I'm afraid."

"For what goddamned purpose?"

"You gotta stop at the mining station."

"Oh. It gets even better, doesn't it?"

"Nahara will carry out an investigation there. Nothing big. Just taking a look. Then you're on your way."

Annie turned away and walked to the office's wall-sized window that overlooked the terminal. She looked out, staring blankly at the ant-sized people moving around below.

"Guess I have no say in this after all, huh?"

"Not if you want to leave."

"Council orders," Nahara said. She didn't like the sound of his voice. Too nasally.

"You can still say no."

"But then your clearance will be revoked," Nahara said.

"Just following orders, Annie," Humphries added, as if that would help.

She stepped closer to the window. The loading was almost done on the SRV. The passengers lingered outside or were in the bar, ready and waiting to board, and then: she noticed something.

First, just one of the passengers milling about.

His movements jerky, odd.

Never good to have anyone fidgety on board. Even at their best, Road trips were never a smooth ride.

Then she looked over at two security guards at the checkpoint where passengers entered the security area once they'd been through the security scan. Both of them had pulse guns slung over their shoulders.

She didn't recognize either of the guards.

"Hang on. Who are those"-she put a finger up to the glass-"those newbies?"

"Probably just rotated in. Your point?"

She looked closer at the man below. Now he was circling the passenger area, and her instincts kicked in.

Something's not right with that guy.

And the two newbies aren't paying attention. They might have something to do with it.

She turned for the door.

"Nahara goes!" Humphries called out as she ran past.

She didn't stop, but said over her shoulder, "We leave in thirty minutes. Be the hell on board, or we go without you."

Ignoring the elevator-she couldn't wait that long-she took the staircase down, hitting the steps two at a time.

On the ground floor, she pushed the emergency door open and raced to the enclosed area where the passengers were waiting.

The two newbies gave Annie a look, scanning her ID tag.

How the hell old are they? she thought. Eighteen ... nineteen? Kids ...

Annie slowed her pace when she got close to the other passengers, a few at the bar, most sitting at tables or milling around, guarding their luggage.

Going to get to know each other real well soon enough, she thought.

But first she was going to get to know the man in the long coat with the twitchy eyes.

As she got close, she could almost smell the guy's anxiety.

Maybe, she thought, a Road trip isn't in the cards for you.

She moved to a position so that when the man turned to resume his shuffling steps, he'd be facing her.

And when he did ...

"Sir," she said, extending a hand as if to block him. "Hold it right there."

The man looked directly at her.

She fired a quick glance at the two young guards who-so far-had taken no notice.

"Are you booked for my SRV, sir?"

The man's eyes went wide. Bug-eyed.

And the guards just let him sail in?

I don't give a damn what kind of clearance this guy has, he deserves a few questions.

Like ... what planet are you from?

The man hesitated as if she'd asked a trick question.

His tongue slipped out between his teeth, looking like he'd swallowed a fat slug that wouldn't go down. Then three jerky nods.

Annie forced herself to smile.

"Great. We'll be loading soon. The SRV is right over there."

She indicated it without taking her eyes off him.

The man seemed to fight to look away from her. Then he gave the quickest of glances at the waiting Star Road vehicle.

Annie kept the smile plastered on her face, but she kept her eyes locked on him, barely blinking.

"May I see your boarding chip?"

The man's eyes were glazed now. They didn't move.

Annie took another step closer to him.

She broadened her smile, thinking, This cork is about to pop.

"Part of a captain's duties, sir. A last minute-"

And then it happened.

The immobilized man was suddenly fast. The long coat opened, and he pulled out a pulse gun. A pistol.

In a fraction of a second, the barrel swerved and aimed at what Annie knew had to be a spot right between her eyes.

A few people in the area saw what was happening. Someone screamed, and then others saw and shouted as they scrambled for cover. Panicked sounds moved like a wave through the terminal.

Annie hoped no one did anything stupid.

Pulling a gun was stupid enough. If those two newbies raised their weapons now, they could probably take this guy down ... but likely only after he burned a hole through Annie's skull.

"Hey, hold on there," she said. "There's no need to-"

"The Road ... is meant ... to be ... free!"

One of "those" guys, Annie thought. A "Free the Road" zealot.

How the hell did he get a boarding-chip clearance? He must have paid a ton of credits to someone. And the pulse gun? Maybe someone planted it here for him, past the security.

And his plan?

Commandeer the SRV?

Take out as many people as he could before burning his own brains out?