THE LAST stair was narrow enough for one person.
Of course it was.
Caleb stood at the top and looked down into white light.
Behind him, Sam shut the Record again, then opened it, then shut it. A nervous habit disguised as a tactical check.
"Say it," Tali said.
Caleb kept his eyes on the stair. "The room wants me alone."
"Recommendation," she said. "Declined."
The wall screen beside the stair answered:
FINAL CONSENT LEVEL.
VESSEL ENTRY ONLY.
WITNESSES MAY OBSERVE.
"Observe from where?" Soma asked.
The floor split around the stair and raised seven narrow panels of glass. Each panel held a reflection of one person on the team.
Sam.
Rina.
Iharu.
Kikaru.
Tali.
Soma.
Sefa.
At the safe house, the comm crackled, then cleared.
Hiro said, "It made a panel here too."
Soma checked his console. "Foundation witness and Hiro linked by copy. Iris line still outside. Eleven witness line above us."
"So everyone gets a window," Kikaru said.
"A witness box," Sam said.
