Despite the violent attack levied by a new and completely unexpected opponent, the Vom found cause to rejoice. A second fleet! More strength to complement its own! It could now travel from planet to planet in almost respectable fashion.

For possibly the ten thousandth time it tried to analyze this new power arrayed against it. About the Guardian's mental attitude it had no qualms. The Guardian-Machine had been and would be an implacable opponent until one of the two ancient enemies was destroyed.

But what of this new factor? Could it mayhap be persuaded into a realignment of forces for mutual benefit? With a galaxy at stake, the Vom was willing to share. Or could it at least be convinced to withdraw from an ancient and private conflict, leaving the way clear for the Vom's victory?

The Vom reached out again and made contact. What it encountered on a non-combatant level was surprising. This second opponent had not even fully matured, had not mastered its own power! In its probing the Vora must take care not to stir latent abilities, hidden secrets, not to upset the balance of internal power. The potential here was frightening.

In fear the Vora nearly backed off. But after determining that the being could not read the sub-surface layers of Vom-thought, it returned to the contact, expanded it.

(curiously: dialogue on a Different plane)

WHO ARE YOU?.

(picture contact nee verbal/concept sub-vocalization)

A TRANSPARENT ORCHID : SUNSPOTS ON LEAVES: STAMEN AND PETAL: SLOW.

FUSION.

(rejoinder)

AND YOU, MONSTER?.

(arrow-straight conceptualization)

GREAT VOID: VOIDNESS? : ANGRY VACUUM.

DARK EFFLUVIA : MALIGNANT MIASMA : CANCER MUSING : OLEAGINOUS.

OLLAPODRIDA.

(pause)

WHY DO YOU FIGHT ME?.

YOU ARE EVIL.

(confusion/introspection/analysis)

EVIL? THERE IS NO EVIL.

IT MAY BE SO. BUT THERE IS WHAT IS COMMONLY RATIONALIZED AS GOOD. YOU.

ARE CLEARLY NOT-GOOD. A GOOD-NEGATIVE. YOU TRY TO RATIONALIZE EVIL.

CHAOS!.

(consideration/thought/tacking)

FIGHT ME NO MORE AND I WILL MAKE YOU MASTER OF HALF THE GALAXY.

THE GALAXY HAS TOO MANY MASTERS ALREADY. NO.

"WHAT CAN I OFFER YOU?.

YOUR DEATH.

(anger/arrogance/disbelief)

COMPLAISANT COMPLIANCE? SURRENDER? ACQUIESCE? INTRODUCE NEGATIVES.

INTO A SUPREME FUNCTIONARY NEGATIVITY? NEVER!.

SEE? YOUMUST DIE (strange voice)

I CANNOT DIE : I WILL NOT DIE: I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DIE.

THEN I MUST HELP YOU TO LEARN.

The Vom terminated contact. With all its shadings and half-tones the entire conversation had taken perhaps a few seconds.

The strange opponent possessed a self-confidence that conflicted with its lack of self-knowledge.

Maybe, the Vom considered, it was fighting on too personal a level. Possibly an exterior demonstration would have some moral effect.

Using its fully matured mind for the first time beyond the battle, the Vom reached out ...

On board the humanx flagship Zimbabwe, instruments died with suddenness and finality. The eerie blue-green of the local emergency fighting flickered on a moment later.

There was little panic in the nexus. After all, this was the nerve-center of the fleet. The personnel were the class of each rating. So there was no hysteria.

Things went otherwise on some other ships.

"Communications, all ships report status. Hold position, hold fire. Commodore, damage report. All hands to battle stations."

The replies came thick and fast.

"Communications, sir. All intership comet units, including storage and backup facil ..."

" ... no visible damage or shorting, Barge! It's crazy ... !"

"... ities on all ship channels inoperable. Emergency backup systematization totally inoperative, Admiral."

"That's impos ... ! Status report!" Ashvenarya accepted the situation and changed in mid-sentence.

Again, quick reply.

"All communicators down to hand-units inoperable. Engineering reports central KK drive unit shut down for sub-light as well as supra-light capability at 0954.4 shiptime." The communicator's tone changed to one less officious. "That means the whole ship is in free-fall status, sir."

"Going to play havoc with the housekeeping. What else?"

An engineer was bent over a heavily instrumented console. He was checking dials and meters against a computer readout. A muscle twitched nervously in his neck.

"All exterior and numerous interior systematizations report dead, underpowered or inoperative, sir.