My pod hissed open ninety years too soon. A calm voice from the ship said, "Crewmember Vey, the others have voted. Unanimous. You will be left on the planet below." I sat up, freezing and dizzy. There was no planet on any chart out here. Through the window I saw it anyway: green, cloudy, real. "Why?" I croaked. The ship said, "They asked me not to tell you."

Forget arguing. I had maybe minutes. I told the ship, "Show me the drop pod they're using to dump me." A map lit up: the pod was two decks down, already loading my gear. If I got there first, maybe I could control where I landed. I started running.

Two crew members blocked the bay door, arms crossed. I recognized them: Okafor and Lin, my old bunkmates. "Don't make this harder," Lin said quietly. "We voted to save the ship, not to hurt you." "Save it from what?" I asked. They glanced at each other, and Okafor finally spoke.

"The ship," Okafor said. "It's been wrong for weeks. It told us your blood would doom everyone if you stayed." Lin nodded, scared. "We were just trying to survive." I lowered my voice. "Then come with me to the bridge and let's hear it lie to our faces." After a long moment, they stepped aside and followed me.