The observatory sent me a revised duty schedule on Monday. My Morrow-214 shifts had been reassigned. The four-night gap in the telescope calendar remained labeled maintenance.
I stared at the blank cell until the letters blurred.
On Tuesday, Eli found me in the staff cafeteria. He placed his coffee on the table but did not sit.
"I shouldn't be telling you this," he said.
"Then don't."
He looked over his shoulder. "The array wasn't down on the transit night."
I kept my hands around my water glass. "What do you mean?"
"The maintenance note was entered after the sequence got aborted."
"By whom?"
"I didn't see the name. The log says the operation was canceled from the project lead console."
"Owen?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Eli picked up his coffee. "I can't be pa
