It was so obvious now: a way to foreshorten the Nova War that wouldn't destroy the Consortium, and also a possible means to redemption not just for herself but for all the machine-heads who had suffered the fall-out from Redstone.

'Now look at me,' the Librarian commanded.

She stepped further towards the seated figure, and the shadows dropped from its face.

Dakota fell into an infinity of stars.

Twenty-four.

Corso was led back out of the domed building by a Bandati warrior. He stared at the human-built ground transport now parked next to the truck that had brought him and the rest of the Bandati to the maul-worm's lair. Most of Honeydew's warriors were gathered a short distance away, busily clicking and chittering amongst themselves. A few others circled high overhead, presumably on guard duty.

The bodies of murdered station-Bandati still lay scattered all over the plaza.

His attention was riveted by four humans, all wearing battle armour, who were deep in conversation with Honeydew.

The Bandati guard's grip on his arm still firm, Corso could only stare at the newcomers: real, live people. One of them, he soon realized, was Sal, but at first he almost didn't recognize him. The man looked so different, as if Corso hadn't set eyes on him in decades. It was a shock to remember it had actually been barely a couple of months.

For a moment, Corso allowed himself to imagine that his troubles were finally over, that he'd been rescued and n.o.body was going to torture, kill, interrogate or eat him.

It didn't take long before he was stripped of that hope.

The four of them, along with Honeydew, appeared to reach some form of agreement. As they broke off, Corso was pulled forward and left standing next to the transport. Honeydew twittered something at his guard, who then climbed back on the open-bed truck along with the rest of the Bandati. They drove back down the hill in the direction of the spoke-shaft they'd first emerged from.

Honeydew remained behind, however, while Sal climbed up into the transport, being careful to avoid looking at Corso as he did so. One of the three soldiers took Corso by the arm and nudged him inside.

Corso sat meekly in the back of the transport, as silent as a lamb, his gaze focused a long way off. The vehicle started to move, crashing down the slope of the hill and continuing along a different trail from the previous one. Corso stared fixedly at the floor of the transport, too scared to even close his eyes in case he opened them to see the inside of the maul-worm's throat.

A little while later, and a couple of kilometres further around the ring's circ.u.mference, Corso found himself sitting at a table with several other humans, the lower end of another spoke-shaft towering high overhead.

In the back of the transport one of the men had already introduced himself as Corporal Roche, but revealed only that they were heading for a 'command post'. That turned out to be basically a conference-sized table set in the centre of a shallow open-air auditorium perched strategically atop yet another hill.

Around the same table sat four other people, seated on lightweight aluminium deckchairs. Several heavily armoured Consortium troopers stood nearby, constantly scanning the terrain below, while another two watched vigilantly beside a pulse-cannon mounted on a second ground transport.

In the centre of the conference table sat a simulation projector with a map of the Ocean's Deep system floating above it. One symbol marked the presence of a Shoal coreship, while a black, spiked monstrosity clearly indicated the Emissary vessel that he'd arrived on.

Corso stared around the table, and those seated at it, with haunted, disbelieving eyes.

'I said, do you know who I am, Mr Corso?'

It took a moment for Corso to realize the woman seated directly opposite was addressing him.

'Why, yes, I do,' he replied, sounding half-dazed. 'Senator Marion Briggs.' She was a member of the Freehold Senate, and had been decorated during the war with the Uchidans. The flesh just below her right ear was mottled and the ear itself looked half-melted, a legacy of some long-ago battle.

'I knew your father, Lucas,' said Briggs, more gently. 'He was a good man.'

'Thank you,' Corso said automatically.

Not all of those present appeared to be military one individual in particular, by the name of Langley, was dressed in a long dark coat that gave him a vaguely priestlike air.

Corso recognized the one seated between Briggs and Langley as General Gregor Hua, the man responsible for the Consortium's disastrous campaign on Redstone the same conflict Dakota had barely survived. He was a small, round-faced man of Korean descent, wearing light body armour and with a single pistol holstered at his hip.

When the General caught his eye, Corso found it difficult not to give him his immediate attention.

'I'll a.s.sume, Mr Corso, that you weren't expecting to see us.'

'That would be something of an understatement, sir.'

'Do you understand why we're here?'

'I'll hazard a guess that you're also after the derelict.'

'Very good, but not quite accurate. We're here to provide expert help and aid to Immortal Light while they try and prevent the derelict from falling into enemy hands. To which end we've been pursuing several paths of investigation.'

'Just a minute.' Corso nodded towards the simulation. 'How did you all get get here? On a coreship?' here? On a coreship?'

Briggs's face hardened and she started to say something, but Hua gave her a sharp look and she fell back, silent and angry-looking.

'We were brought here on board the Emissary ship,' the General explained, 'or rather, we rendezvoused with Immortal Light forces within their own system, then . . . hitched a lift.'

'With the Emissaries? And you're still alive?' Corso asked, with genuine amazement.

All eyes around the table regarded him with frank suspicion.

He finally turned to directly face his old friend for the first time since he'd emerged from the dome. 'Sal, how long have we known each other?'

'Since we were kids,' Sal grudgingly admitted.

'You were one of my best friends, to the extent that I would talk to you when I was alone in that cell, and thinking I'd never see another human being ever again. I heard you when he' and with this, he nodded towards Honeydew 'was using me like fish bait.' Corso gripped the edge of the table, waiting for his own anger to subside. 'They were torturing me, and you just stood by and let them. Why?'

It said volumes that Sal waited for a nod from Briggs before replying.

That used to be me, Corso realized unquestioningly loyal. But so much had changed, and both Sal and the Senator seemed more like figments from some terrible, half-remembered dream. Corso realized unquestioningly loyal. But so much had changed, and both Sal and the Senator seemed more like figments from some terrible, half-remembered dream.

'I know you think I've betrayed our friendship, but there's too much at stake here, Lucas,' Sal replied tersely. 'We can't afford the niceties now. I'm sorry about what happened really, truly sorry but, given the magnitude of what's happening here, we're lucky the Freehold is being allowed to get involved at all.'

'That's enough, Mr Mendez,' Hua said, sharply cutting him off. 'Lucas, we're sorry about what happened to you, but you should consider yourself lucky to even be alive. Immortal Light approached us by "us" I mean the Consortium and asked for our help in their interrogations, in return for partnership in exploiting the derelict starship located somewhere on this station. They needed what was lodged inside your head, and they needed it fast. However, we made sure they stuck to a more conventional approach in interrogations, rather than, say, dissecting you at the start.'

'Is that supposed to rea.s.sure rea.s.sure me?' Corso demanded. me?' Corso demanded.

Hua glanced at an aide seated by Corso's other side. 'Read him the second situation summary, Mr Cohen.'

'Sir,' Cohen replied, glancing down at a screen nestling in his palm. 'The Nova Arctis expedition was monitored by in situ in situ agents acting on behalf of the Consortium, following information received of the recovery of an artefact of unknown origin. They subsequently reported on events leading up to and immediately prior to destruction of the system.' The aide looked directly at Corso as he concluded. 'Your subsequent detainment on Ironbloom was with the explicit permission of a secret committee of the Consortium Central Administration, and on the recommendation of the Ministry of External Intelligence, following consultations with court advisers of the Queen of Immortal Light.' agents acting on behalf of the Consortium, following information received of the recovery of an artefact of unknown origin. They subsequently reported on events leading up to and immediately prior to destruction of the system.' The aide looked directly at Corso as he concluded. 'Your subsequent detainment on Ironbloom was with the explicit permission of a secret committee of the Consortium Central Administration, and on the recommendation of the Ministry of External Intelligence, following consultations with court advisers of the Queen of Immortal Light.'

'Our presence in this system is a secret, Mr Corso,' Hua added. 'The Freehold have been permitted to join us simply because their new government offered their full cooperation when we demanded information about Nova Arctis. If things work out the way we hope they will, representatives of the Consortium as well as Immortal Light will soon be opening negotiations with the Emiss-'

Corso couldn't hold it in any more, and he dissolved into hysterical laughter.

Briggs slammed the table with one hand, her face as red as the morning sun and a lot angrier. 'Lucas Corso, you will pull yourself together. pull yourself together.'

Hua didn't look happy either. He was about to say something, when one of the troopers hurried over. 'General, we've secured this ring for now, but that's about all we can manage without stretching ourselves too thin. The Immortal Light contingent appear to be fighting their own people here to get control of the station. There's a lot of fighting on the alpha and delta rings as well.'

'Do we even know where the derelict is yet?'

The soldier nodded. 'It's on Ring Gamma, the central ring, and heavily defended by automated systems. Lieutenant Nairit suggests maintaining our command post here, and sending a force to rendezvous with the rest of the Immortal Light forces there.'

Hua nodded. 'Do it,' he replied, turning back to Corso. 'The only reason you're here at all is because Immortal Light believed you were as important as Dakota Merrick. That was their mistake, and meanwhile she's been taken by the enemy. Now we find the Emissaries have dropped all communications with us. The fact remains, however, that you did did develop communications protocols that got the Freehold deep inside another derelict. We brought with us the same equipment you used back in Nova Arctis, and we're going to want you to get us inside this derelict, too.' develop communications protocols that got the Freehold deep inside another derelict. We brought with us the same equipment you used back in Nova Arctis, and we're going to want you to get us inside this derelict, too.'

'Let me be frank.' Corso shook his head. 'You can't hope to do anything with the derelict as long as Dakota Merrick is anywhere in this system.'

'So she is is here?' asked Langley, leaning forward. here?' asked Langley, leaning forward.

Corso nodded. 'She has a special affinity with the derelict, something I . . . I can't quite explain. Unless you've brought your own machine-heads, you don't stand a chance in h.e.l.l of getting anywhere near that derelict.'

Corso didn't miss the sudden tension in the air, or the flash of alarm crossing Hua's face before he recovered his carefully neutral expression. 'You seem awfully well informed, Mr Corso.'

Corso glanced over at Honeydew, who stood nearby, watching the proceedings.

'I heard some things,' Corso replied quietly.

'Did she mention anything about . . . other people like herself?' Hua asked carefully.

Sitting next to Hua, Briggs wore an expression like an angry snake about to bite its victim to death. They're hiding something, They're hiding something, Corso thought, glancing again over at Honeydew. Corso thought, glancing again over at Honeydew. There's something they don't want Honeydew to know. There's something they don't want Honeydew to know.

For some reason his gaze next settled on Langley, the only apparent civilian present apart from himself and Sal.

Other people? He wondered. People like Dakota? People like Dakota?

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense that the Consortium would would have brought along other machine-heads to try and take control of the derelict. have brought along other machine-heads to try and take control of the derelict.

Perhaps even without Immortal Light's permission or knowledge.

'Sir.' Corporal Roche approached Hua to confer quietly. Roche then pointed upwards, and Corso raised his head to gaze at the surface of the gas giant wheeling past the ring's enormous windows. Then he realized the Corporal was actually pointing towards an Emissary ship, all sharp edges and jutting spines, which was currently docking with the station's hub. Corso now saw with a start that two other Emissary ships had already docked, and another was on its way.

'That's an Emissary ship,' Briggs muttered. 'I thought the idea was they were going to hold back for now.'

'Oh, Christ and Buddha in a wh.o.r.ehouse.' Corso stared wildly around the table. 'Listen, we need to get out of here. Now. I mean now. now.'

Hua stared at him with open suspicion. 'Why is that, Mr Corso?'

'What do you mean "why?"' Corso demanded. 'Haven't you ever met one of the d.a.m.n things?'

'As a matter of fact, no,' Hua replied. 'No human has at least, not with anything beyond one of their client species.'

Corso stared at the General in horror. 'Well, I I met one. And I hope to never meet another.' met one. And I hope to never meet another.'

There was a m.u.f.fled explosion somewhere in the distance. They all looked in the same direction, to see a thin trail of smoke rising from out of dense foliage less than a kilometre away close to one of the ring's external walls.

'We just lost contact with perimeter station beta zero nine, General,' said the Corporal. 'That's one of the ring-side spoke stations.'

'Get our men there now now!' Hua ordered, standing as he spoke. 'I think the rest of us should get ready to move in case we're being specifically targeted. I think it's time to head for Ring Gamma.'

He turned to Corso. 'What happened when you met the Emissary?' he asked forcefully, while several troopers piled into a transport and roared down the hill towards the source of the explosion.

'It asked me if I knew where G.o.d lived and, when I couldn't answer, it ripped a Bandati in half in front of me. Ask Honeydew; he was there. Frankly, General, those things make the Shoal look like kittens by comparison.'

Something roared in the distance, an enraged bellow that only Corso had heard before.

'That's an Emissary,' he told the General, 'and that means everybody has to get away from here before they come any closer. Believe me when I tell you that you don't know what you're dealing with.'

'The only place you're you're going is wherever we tell you to,' Briggs snapped, but Corso could see the lines of apprehension evident in her face. going is wherever we tell you to,' Briggs snapped, but Corso could see the lines of apprehension evident in her face.

'Sir, the transport just reported in.' Another trooper, a tall, dark-haired woman, had stepped up to Hua. 'They're engaging-'

At that moment there came a scream from the humid jungle below them, followed by a brief rattle of gunfire, followed by an eerie silence. Something thudded loudly, then silence fell once more. Corso stood with the rest as something arced high in the air from the same direction the transport had gone, before crashing onto the ground not far from where they all stood.

It took a moment for Corso to identify it as the mangled torso of one of the troopers.

'Lucas.' Corso turned to see Langley was addressing him. 'I'd like to know how Dakota was the last time you saw her. I . . . knew her, some years ago.'

Corso found it hard to stop his gaze wandering back to the trooper's mangled corpse. All around them, people were barking instructions either at each other or into radios and T-net transceivers. 'She's fine, I guess,' Corso replied, not quite sure what else to say.

He glanced over at Honeydew, who alone apparently hadn't moved. People raced all around, manning the pulse-cannons on the back of the remaining transport, or finding defensive positions and then training their weapons on the dense foliage at the hill's base.

Corso walked over to the alien and stared into its face. 'You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?'

'I did not, Mr Corso. The Emissaries appear to have betrayed us all.'

'And your Queen? What the h.e.l.l is she going to do about it?'

'It is with great shame I am forced to admit my Queen may be somewhat out of her depth in terms of the current situation. I'm sorry for the way things turned out, Lucas. I wish things might have been different.'

All around them, people were shouting . . . and then something between a trumpet and a roar blared through the foliage at the foot of the hill.

The sudden return to reality was jarring. One moment Dakota had been staring down at the shadowy Librarian, and now- Her senses rushed outwards yet again, but this time the fear was gone. She felt, instead, a burning sensation somewhere deep within her skull.

The Emissary drones made a last dash towards the scout-ship. Something reached out from inside of Dakota, penetrating their communications networks and slipping inside their machine brains.

Less than four seconds after Dakota found herself back in the scout-ship, the Emissary drones had run emergency deactivation procedures and shut themselves down for ever. They drifted, cold and inert, while the scout-ship continued on its way safe and unharmed.

Dakota felt her mind continue to expand outwards until her consciousness encompa.s.sed all of the fleets converging on Leviathan's Fall. She felt as if she were on the verge of splintering into a thousand pieces, as fragments of her consciousness were scattered across tens of thousands of computers and stacks all across Ocean's Deep. She finally worked out how to rein herself in, and to focus her consciousness on the scout-ship.

And only when she was ready did she reach back out again.