The other four corpses were all male. Either Symcox was behind that door or she was the dead blond, Kline concluded.

"So where's number eight?" Bilge asked.

Kline stepped over the bodies toward the door. His heads up display still showed no electronic signatures. He hoped there were no mechanical snares attached to the door.

Symcox had to be in there. Or in her cabin. Kline considered going back and checking Symcox's quarters.

But if she was in her cabin she couldn't have barricaded herself in the lab to stop the crew getting in. Why had they been trying to get into the lab? Had they mutinied? What other reason could there be? And how did they die?

Maybe she electrified the door or something. Kline took a step back from the door and checked his display. Still no electronic signatures. But what other traps could she have laid? Kline considered checking her quarters first to allay any fears of anti-personnel devices.