For some reason, when the group got outside the next morning there was a private jet resting where the helicopter had been. The jet was shiny and pristine, and definitely not from a mental hospital. That runway had definitely not been there before either.

For another surprise, Jonathan boarded with the rest of them in the passenger area and Sanders was the one who took the cockpit.

Howard was not looking forward to having to deal with all five criminals without his presence, but thankfully none of them seemed to hate him.

Once the private jet took off, the conversation suddenly took a serious turn. “So, now that the watchdog is busy, we need to discuss what we are really getting into,” James broke in.

“Chances are pardoning comes with a set of eyes always on our backs,” Miranda agreed, “If we survive.”

“I could tinker with the settings and make us land somewhere out of U.S. jurisdiction,” Jonathan offered with a smile.

“And then what?” Howard asked, irritated, “If it comes down to surviving in the wild, I might be the expert but everyone will have to pull their own weight, and there won’t be a scrap of tech in sight unless we are way too close to some country that could turn you in any way.”

“Not to mention the possibility of unknown laws,” Natalie agreed, “That is something I would like to avoid.”

“I wonder if we can make requests for our funerals,” Jonathan mused happily.

There was a long pause of awkward silence. “I know the reason our employers gave for me being here, but I still don’t understand why they would send a con man to space,” Leon muttered, breaking the silence.

“I agree,” Miranda said, “I am an art thief. It doesn’t make much sense. Unless their real goal is to just get rid of us from the start, in which case…”

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Everyone looked at Howard with pity.

“You know, I am not a criminal either,” Selina pointed out, “but I did volunteer on my own. I happened to find out about that anomaly and shoved my way in here. How could anyone miss out on a chance like this?”

Jonathan nodded in agreement. “And even if we die, we might be the first humans to actually experience being ripped apart by a wormhole, or crushed instantly by-”

“No,” James interrupted, “That is not what we are going to be discussing in our limited time without the watchdog.”

“Who made you the leader?” Miranda asked.

“Did you want Jonathan to continue?” James countered.

“Then shall we discuss the fact that they lied to me about needing my money?” Selina broke in, “After all of the money I graciously donated I came to find out that Sanders is the one who is funding this project! Just what did they do with my money?! It is infuriating!”

So that was why she had been suspiciously quiet the day before.

“The government arrests people like me even though they are just like me, if not worse,” Leon agreed, “Did they ever tell you they needed money for this project, or did they just say they needed money for their project?”

Selina frowned. “That is true, I don’t think they did specify. I am going to have a long talk with Sanders once we land.”

“I doubt there is anything he can do about it,” Natalie pointed out, “Unless you are desperate to find out which project your money is being used for.”

Selina sighed and rubbed her forehead. “No thanks. I will definitely feel even worse when I find out. At least I will still be able to get in on this trip, but now I don’t have enough sway to protect Howard. Sorry.”

“Protect?” Howard asked before he could stop himself.

“Sure. If the mission really turned out to be a way to get rid of these criminals here, I was going to make sure you could sit out somewhere safe like ground control but still participate in the mission so you wouldn’t break the contract.”

“That would be thoughtful if you weren’t the one who dragged me into this in the first place,” Howard pointed out.

“I admit, this isn’t as harmless a prank as I thought it was when I planned it,” Selina told him, “Believe me, I am reflecting. Howard, I checked my phone last night, and they already started erasing my identity.”

“So when we go back we aren’t even allowed to be the same people we were before,” James muttered, “Or worse.”

“I got too conceited thinking all that talk only applied to the criminals, but I am not like you, Howard. You can fit in anywhere where there is a lonely little niche with no people. As for me, the government just officially pronounced me and my career dead.”

“And they didn’t say a word to you about it?” Natalie checked.

“Not once,” Selina agreed.

“So the only one standing between us and being killed out there in space is also our potential murderer,” James concluded, looking towards the front of the jet, “But where does Sanders stand on all of this?”