“Why?” Melody had to resist the urge to turn around and run right from the room, ripping out her IV and trying to escape. The Pioneering Society did require all sorts of exams to prove she was mentally capable of handling risk. What it did not require its humans to do was undertake suicide missions. Yes, they were replaceable, expendable. But they were also people, and such requests could not reasonably be expected to be followed by any but the insane. “I will not cooperate if you expect me to kill myself for you, Forerunner. Maybe I would have a few months ago. I won’t anymore.”