“What about it exactly isn’t ethical?” she says softly, attempting to cloak her timidness in a naïve curiosity.

Sebastian’s eyes trace her face, like he’s searching for whatever might make her qualified to have this conversation. “Well, don’t get me wrong. It’s fascinating. And groundbreaking,” he says. “But anytime humans are looking for a shortcut, ethics go out the window.” He pauses, allowing the question to remain unanswered. “That’s why, if you want to get anything done, you have to distance yourself from ethics.”

“Then how do all these guys justify doing it?” Bethel asks, crunching ice with her back teeth on each harsh syllable.

He stands and begins collecting their empty glasses. “By knowing that everyone else is unethical, too.”