As if sharing her thought, Director Trachtenberg opened a channel to all the human starships. 'Status report please, is everyone all right?
'I'm fine, she reported back to the CNE Dalfrod, where he was embarked, along with the senior staff.
Once he'd established all his own staff were safe, the director exchanged messages with the alien craft ascending out of the atmosphere. They all confirmed that everyone had escaped intact; though they had to assume the Kandra were safe as the enigmatic cube didn't respond to any communication.
'We'll return to the Commonwealth immediately, Trachtenberg announced. 'From what the observation systems can ascertain, we should manage to stay ahead of the boundary. It's expanding at about three or four lightyears an hour. That gives us a huge safety margin.
'Is the data still coming in? Justine asked.
'Some of it. It's patchy now, there's a lot going on in the Wall we don't understand. I expect most of the disturbances we're registering are coming from the Raiel defence systems, but even so we can keep a reduced watch until the sensors are overcome. We're relaying as much as we can to the Navy Exploration Division centre back home.
'I see.
Justine watched the other starships reach her altitude, feeling strangely annoyed with them and herself. Surely there was something else to be done other than simply flee? It smacked of not a little cowardice, ignorant peasants cowering from the lightning storm, howling that the gods were angry, looking for a sacrifice to appease them. And we stopped that nonsense millennia ago. Yet for all our enlightenment we're right back there sheltering from the onslaught in our nice dry cave. Then the ships were accelerating past her, starting to disperse as they headed back towards their own home stars. The Forleene were the first to go ftl, slipping down into wormholes which closed immediately. A last farewell hanging in the ether from their pack leader.
The Silverbird's cabin rocked again. Eighty million miles away the DFs were streaking into a low orbit against the darkening star. The motion hardened her determination. This is not the way it should be.
'Dad?
'Still here.
'What have the Raiel said about the expansion?
'Sweet fuck all. The High Angel is a lifeboat, remember. Their defence systems are all concentrated round your part of the galaxy. Anyway, we can hardly blame them for not telling us anything. Right now every sentient species in the galaxy is pissed at us over the Pilgrimage, and who can blame them. I'm pissed at us.
'I know. That's why I'm going in, she said, surprising herself at the speed of the thought.
'You're doing what,
'Heading in to the Void. Even as she told him she was instructing the smartcore, laying down the course. Fast. Before I chicken out.
'You're doing no such thing, my girl.
The Silverbird dropped smoothly into hyperspace, heading in towards the Wall stars at fifty lightyears an hour. 'Tell him, she said to her father. 'Tell the Second Dreamer. Get him to ask the Skylord to let me in. Once I'm in, once I'm talking to the Skylord direct, I'll try and explain the situation, the damage their boundary is causing.
'Get your ass back here right fucking now!
'Dad. No. This is our chance at a diplomatic solution. The Raiel have tried force for a million years. It doesn't work.
'Come back. You can't get in. This thing is killing the whole fucking galaxy. Your ship…
'Humans can get in, we already know that. Somehow we can do it. And if the Second Dreamer helps me, I'll stand a really good chance.
'This is insane.
'I have to do this, Dad. Somebody has to make the effort. We have to try a human method. We're part of this galaxy now, a big part. It's our turn to attempt our way. We have the right. The blood was pounding in her ears as she hyped herself up. 'I'm going to carry the torch for all of us. If I fail, then… we try something else. That's being human, too.
'Justine.
Over thirty thousand lightyears she could feel his anguish. For a split second, she shared it. 'Dad, if anyone can get to the Second Dreamer, if anyone can make them see reason, it's you, it's the Gore Burnelli. All he has to do is tell the Skylord I'm out here. Ask him. Beg him. Offer him riches. Whatever it takes. You can do it. Please, Dad.
'God-damn, why are you always so fucking difficult?
'I'm your daughter.
Bitter laughter echoed across the stars. 'Of course I'll ask. I'll do a damn sight more than that. If he doesn't get down on his knees and beg that Skylord he'll wish all he faces is oblivion in the expansion.
'Now don't start threatening people, she rebuked immediately.
'Yeah, yeah.
'I'll try and keep a channel open to Centurion Station's relay as long as I can. The Navy systems are tough, they should hold out a while yet.
'Okay, I'll go find me the little tit responsible for this almighty screw-up.
'Thanks, Dad.
'Godspeed.
At three o'clock in the morning Chris Turner left the staff canteen on the east side of Colwyn City's docks and grimaced at the rain splattering on to his face. He'd hoped the unseasonal weather front would blow over while he was taking his break. But no, the thick clouds showed no sign of relenting. His semi-organic jacket rolled a collar up round his neck, and he hurried back to the maintenance depot.
Chris couldn't see anything moving in the docks tonight. Not that other nights were much different. Night time staffing levels were low. Bots were off line for maintenance, which was why he'd pulled this grotty shift — it wasn't popular but it paid well. Trans-ocean barges stayed moored to the quay while their crews slept or clubbed the night away in town. Warehouses were shut.
There wasn't any activity in the city, either. The rain had put a halt to the usual nightlife. Capsules and ground vehicles had hauled the last optimistic revellers back to their homes a long time ago. He could just make out the huge single span arch bridge over the Cairns, its lights a hazy smear through the rain. Normally there would be something driving over it, or a few taxis sliding along its metro rail. But not tonight. He shivered. The city like this was actually kind of spooky. To counter the feeling of isolation he reached down into the gaiafield to gain some emotional comfort from the eternal thoughts whirling within. The usual busy background babble slithered round him like noisy spectres; thoughts that called, mournfully and eagerly, feelings which intrigued, though he shied away from the sadder ones.
A little more comfortable now he knew there were other humans still alive and awake, Chris quickened his pace. There were another eight general purpose bots that needed an overhaul before morning. Even with the company smartcore interfaced with the engineering bays back in the maintenance depot, he'd be hard pressed to finish on time. Yet again he wondered if the pay for late shift was truly worth the cost. His friends only ever got to see him at the weekends, and then his sleep pattern made him lousy company.
He walked along the long line of landing pads, boots splashing in the puddles that were expanding over the vast apron of concrete. Gentle green-tinged ripples reflected the luminescence given off by the lighting globes on their high posts overhead. Thick droplets splattered down noisily from the dark hulls of parked starships.
Up in front and ten metres above the slick concrete a small star flared blue-violet. Chris's mouth dropped open in astonishment. You couldn't work in the starship business, even in a peripheral position like his, without knowing the signature spectrum of Cherenkov radiation. 'That's wrong, he said dumbly.
The star vanished, and the air where it had been rippled. Chris was suddenly staring at a perfect black circle whose base touched the ground. The blackness changed again, lightening to blue-grey, then receding at a speed which made him giddy. Instinct brought his arms up for balance, he was certain he was falling forwards. When he steadied herself he was looking along an infinite tunnel. Its soft-glowing fabric brightened intolerably as dazzling sunlight streamed out. Not Viotia's sun, he knew. This was another star altogether.