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“Very interesting results,” the computer said. “Now for the next test. Will Mr. Bennet sacrifice his own life for Miss Meadows? My calculations show he will. Shall we see if I am correct?”

“What?” I sputtered, shoving away from Mason and spinning wildly as I treaded. “No! Stop this! You don’t need to know this. You’re torturing us. Who is making you do this? Is it Travis?”

“If you leave the water, I will eliminate all oxygen from this sector, killing both of you and any other humans lurking nearby,” the computer continued, undeterred by my outbreak. “One of you may leave. When you do, the great white shark will be released into your tank in exactly forty-two seconds. Did you know they can smell a drop of blood up to a mile away? There is a ninety-nine-point-nine percent probability that Mr. Bennet’s wounds released at least that much into the water. Coupled with the wounds on your wrists and ankles, Miss Meadows, it is a certainty. See how he waits?”

It was impossible not to look at the shark. He thrashed in a frenzy, bubbles flowing as he paced the length of the glass closest to the floor. I swallowed hard. My teeth chattered.

“You go,” Mason said, his hands finding my shoulders from behind. “I’m never going to make it anyhow. I’m an inch from passing out.”

I turned to him and held him in an attempt to share physical support, my tears mixing with the water already on his chest. “Please don’t. Please. There has to be a way. I won’t leave you.”

“My mother ruined my life years ago. You can restart and pilot the escape pod. You have to go.”

“The computer is just going to kill me another way. After she makes me watch you—” I choked on the thought.

Mason’s lips found mine, obliterating everything from my mind. I didn’t ever want the kiss to stop, because as soon as it did, the AI was going to make us choose one way or another. There was no way out.

“We could’ve been good together,” Mason said as I leaned into his palm, weeping. “I love you, Sam.”

“I love you too,” I cried, my body wracked with sobs.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“For what?” I asked. None of this was his fault.

“For this.” Mason lifted me out of the water and shoved me onto the deck. I screamed, clawing my way back to him, but the glass top of the section that had opened slid rapidly back into place, trapping Mason beneath with only enough space to keep his nose above water with his head tilted back.

“No!” I shrieked, clawing at the glass. Pounding on it. “No!” The glass between the floor and the shark’s tank slowly retracted. How could a computer be so cruel? It couldn’t be. Someone had to be behind this.

“No…” I sobbed, spreading my hand flat against the glass, matching Mason’s.

Something whizzed by my ear and I fell back, searching for the source. The hilt of a knife stuck out of a small black circle in the wall. Popping and sizzling sounds like those that came with disabling the robots flew from the spot.

“Look out,” Travis said as he lunged toward me with a giant bronze trident.

I rolled out of the way as he brought the tips down against the glass where Mason tread. I screamed again, unable to process what was happening. With a resounding crack, Travis brought down the tip again and again until the glass burst.

My brain snapped into gear. “The shark!” I yelled, pointing. The great white had finally managed to slip through, and its massive jaws opened wide, revealing rows of pointed teeth.

Travis’s face paled as he spotted the threat. “Help me!” he yelled.

I scurried into position just as Mason managed to prop his elbows on the edge of the floor. There was no way he’d get out in time. Not all of him. Not unless we could pull this off. Travis lifted his arms, looking more like Poseidon than the statue.

“Help me aim! We only get one shot.”

I planted my weight and grabbed the back portion of the weapon, tilting until the calculations in my tech brain were satisfied.

“Now!” I yelled, letting go.

Travis hurled the trident at the shark, skewering it just before it reached Mason.

The whole world tilted as I collapsed onto the floor with relief. My vision blurred and shook as a result of the draining adrenaline, intense stress, and whatever serum was inside of me. The last thing I registered before blacking out was the sight of Travis offering Mason a hand.