NATHAN sat cross-legged at the small work table in his quarters, a mug of now-cold coffee abandoned beside his laptop as he absentmindedly scrolled through his inbox. He had already marked everything else as read: staff rosters, expense sheets, an alert about security maintenance, but then, his eyes snagged on something odd.

An unread message.

The sender’s address made his brow crease immediately, it was scrambled, but he knew who it was the moment he clicked it open. One look at the opening line and his heart slammed against his ribs. He shot to his feet, nearly tipping the chair over, laptop clutched in his hand like a bomb he...