Page 328 of Commander’s Mate

“Ugly.”

“Get out.”

He sat.

Of course.

I showed him the department limits.

He read.

“You prohibited command from accessing destination data without operational reason.”

“Yes.”

“I am command.”

“I noticed.”

“What if I require it?”

“Document why.”

“What if I dislike documenting why?”

“Then suffer.”

He smiled.

I loved that smile too much.

Dangerous.

“Harper.”

“What?”

“If Earth is found.”

I looked down.

Not this again.

He saw it.

“No. Not the old question.”

I waited.

“What work do you want there?”

That surprised me.

“What?”

“If Earth is found and you return, what happens to this?”

He gestured at the office.