Last we left off in "Beyond the Black ..."

The wait seemed like forever, but it had been worth it.Patience paid off, as did the fledgling trust Kummer had in his crewmates.

“Security just took the lift,” he said from the shadow of the station’s hydraulic coolant pipes. “How’s it coming?”

A dull pop, faint hiss and the whiff of stale air preceded Ash’s cheerful, “Oh, not a problem.” He stored the data cables, followed by his datapad. “You were right about this maintenance door. Security was lighter here, not a soul picked up on my work-a...