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“A shark,” his mother said. “Glad we’re in the tube.”

“Releasing tube 3A.” Candice’s voice filled the room, and before it registered as the AI, the tube Travis’s parents were in separated from the resort, floating out into the ocean before us.

Dr. Gould’s scream burst through Travis’s wristband as his hand jerked away from the controls. “What the fuck?”

“Computer, reattach arm!” I yelled.

“Unable to comply without correct clearance,” said Candice’s inflectionless voice.

“Bennet override, C12BQ11395,” barked Mason, tapping buttons on the control panel.

“Clearance currently unavailable,” the computer replied.

The loose tube swung out into the current, and the shark Dr. Bennet mentioned appeared, mouth opened to snap at the people trapped inside.

“We have to get them back,” I said, unable to take my eyes from the free-floating tube.

Travis ran to the door, but Mason blocked his way.

“Move or I will kill you,” Travis said.

“You can’t go out there. Not only is there a shark, there’s nothing you can do. We have to get clearance from someone the computer will accept.”

“I’m not staying here doing nothing!” Travis screamed.

My hands flew over the control keyboard. The AI was off limits to me, but I managed to find a way into the mechanical overrides through a back door.

“Both of you shut up and stop fighting,” I shouted, still focused on the keys and hoping they weren’t tearing each other apart already. “I got this.”

Travis and Mason appeared on both sides of me, faces strained forward like they could somehow will themselves through the window to the ocean outside. But why go out there into danger when the problem could be solved from right here, faster?

I stabbed one final key and clutched the edge of the control panel with my left hand, biting my lip in anticipation of my plan working. With my right hand, I reached for the joystick and prayed.

A second, empty tube glided out into the water toward its rogue sister. Carefully, I maneuvered the arm to scoop the loose one in, back toward the resort. When the clang caused a minor tremor beneath us, I knew I’d done it.

Mason leaped into action, running from the room, already barking orders into his wristcom for “all hands” to meet him at the tube ride docking station.

I sat, staring out at the reef and partially decayed ship, mouth agape, trying to make sense of what had just happened. When Travis’s fist smashed down into the control panel, I jumped. His arm trembled, every muscle in his body taught with frustration and anger. His attractive face was twisted into something ugly and painful. A single tear slipped down his cheek.

My hand rose as I considered trying to comfort him, but something told me to let him be. I sat there, arm hovering in air, until the spell was broken by Mason’s voice coming from my wristcom.

“Everyone is okay. The staff are using a blowtorch to create a new opening directly to the tube so everyone can climb through safely. Then it will be sealed off.”

I sighed with immense relief and leaned back into the seat as Mason continued via the com.

“You saved them, Sam. You know that, don’t you? If you hadn’t reacted so fast and used the other arm to pull them in, they’d still be floating out there with the sharks, running low on oxygen.”

Somehow, Mason’s words did little to make me feel better. My throat was dry, and no response seemed enough with Travis standing next to me. I imagined he felt much like I did with my mother’s situation. He had been just as helpless to save his parents. The difference was the Goulds’ disaster had been averted, while mine was still ongoing.

“I’m going to go back to my room to rest,” I said to no one in particular. “I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

“Thank you,” Travis said as I reached the doorway.

“No problem,” I said awkwardly as I stepped through the threshold without looking back.

Slipping out of the main archway was easy with all the attention on the emergency inside. People seemed to flow in from nowhere, apparently drawn by word of mouth. As I rounded the corner, cheers rang out, and my shoulders relaxed the rest of the way with the knowledge the Goulds and the others inside the tube had been properly rescued.

Still, the memory played through my head on repeat. Who had shut down Mason’s override? And why? Clearly, the so-called glitch had become dangerous, whether Stacy Bennet wanted to admit it or not. Anger burned inside me, and I clenched my fists at my sides.