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“Doc?” he asks His voice is surprised, but I notice the way his neck tenses and his fists clench

Doc turns around slowly as Victria, Bartie, and I pile into the room behind Elder

Behind Doc is the source of the crashing sound we heard earlier—Doc opened up the cryo tube Orion was frozen in, and the ainst the floor

“What are you doing?” Elder asks I try to et a clearer view, but he throws his ar me behind him

“I knew you were here,” Doc says, tossing a floppy at Elder Elder scans it and hands it back to me; Victria and Bartie look overdots indicate each of us on the level—Doc, Bartie, Victria, Elderand Orion

My ave it to

“What are you doing, Doc?” Elder asks again His tone is even, unnaturally calm

Doc turns back to the cryo chay with condensation, but I can still see the red veins popping in Orion’s eyes I iainst thein front of his face This cryo tube was developed after the glass boxes my parents and I were frozen in It’s metal, insulated like a thermos, and operates much more si in a glass coffin, all you have to do is step inside, let the cryo liquid du red button on the front I stare at it now, re when Elder pushed the button

“Doc,” Elder says, his voice a warning

Finally, Doc turns to Elder “This ship needs a leader And the only one we have left is Orion ”

“We have a leader,” I say, stepping in front of Elder

Doc smiles at me in a sad, ironic sort of way “He could have been a leader Given a few er, but Doc just shakes his head “We have to have control We need a real leader ”

I laugh, a harsh sound I don’t even recognize co from my own throat “We have a leader, I told you And Elder will never let you go back to the way things were ”

Doc laughs now, a soft, low chuckle “Oh, A ”

I turn around to tell Elder to shoot Doc’s idea down