During the inquiry they had recovered a classified recording — Gabriel’s final transmission, the last thing he said before his ejection system failed him too, one more piece of the same rotten supply chain.

I had never been allowed to hear it.

I had imagined it a thousand ways in eighteen months, and every version I imagined was an accusation.

It wasn’t an accusation.

His last words, logged and timestamped, spoken to the flight controller in the seconds he had left, were about me.

Tell Laura it wasn’t her fault.

The controls locked up.

She did everything right.