“Okay—so if I’ve got this straight,” Elliott was saying from his position across the tunnel from him. “They think the next two times the portal opens, it’ll be into outer space or someplace too tricky for us to get out. So when the portal opens the third time, you expect Jame and I to just plow out of here, full steam ahead, and leave you behind, hoping you can get out. That right?”

“Yeah, I’ll bring up the rear. If Cadence’s plan works, Stewart should be in here somewhere, and then I’ll be able to follow you out.” They’d learned from their own abduction by the portal that just because...