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‘Please … at least believe me about the Post-Species threat. You must close the shift sphere!’

But Lauda left without answering him.

With the Sophos gone, the Robes handled him roughly, shoving him between them. One of them punched him below his ribs. He doubled over, gagging for air.

But they gave him no time for recovery, dragging him along.

For some reason his thoughts flashed to Mira Fedor. He prayed that her circumstances were better than his, that her good fortune had held.

Let her babe survive.

He didn’t know who he prayed to. The concept of God had always been problematic to Thales. Now, having seen some of the wider galaxy, he felt even further from belief than before. Right now, he felt further away from a god than he ever had. Justice had never seemed more irrelevant. He’d failed.

But as they reached the door to the terminal, a large body hurtled through, slamming it shut and smashing the lock mechanism down with an implement.

The Robes grabbed for their swords, but giant fists wielding a large iron bar dealt with the four of them in a few short breaths.

Fariss stepped away from their fallen bodies and lifted Thales up by the shoulders. ‘I don’t mind you doin’ your thing here, trying to save your world and all. But I ain’t about to let ya rot in some gaol.’ She leered happily. ‘I got plans for you.’

Thales stepped into the big woman’s embrace, burying his face into her chest. ‘Fariss.’

She hugged him tight, then set him on his feet so he could see her face. ‘We need to get out of here till these Sophos fuckers have forgotten about you. You got any ideas?’

TEKTON

Thankfully, Jancz and Ilke left Tekton well alone while the hybrid ’zoon navigated away from Intel. Hybrids required much more command attention than unfettered biozoons – they were less inclined to think for themselves and had to be watched for neuroses. Or so he’d heard.

This one, he guessed, would be in deep in neuroses; any creature as unhealthy and abused would be.

So Tekton used the time getting the DSD to propagate outcomes from the Post-Species threat. The device, he knew, could be utilised to change things – to alter history before it became so. But how to identify at what point change should be introduced to the system? With so many potential transformations, Tekton felt lost in a sea of possibilities.

Even logic-mind floundered.

In desperation, Tekton focused on Lasper Farr, tracking the Commander’s movements and wishing he could somehow glean an idea of what to do from mere observation. He spent hours and hours on this pursuit, stopping only to steal the short distance to the galley, procure something edible and hasten back to his locked cabin.

Of all the thousands of scenes that he viewed, one image cache particularly caught his attention – Farr and Bethany Ionil on the bridge of his ship, arguing.

Tekton still couldn’t fathom how the device captured such extensive visual feed, or how it reliably relayed the information. One of Sole’s secrets, no doubt.

If only cousin Ra was here to ask. Not that the obstinate fellow ever gave Tekton a straight answer about anything.

The mystery of the device left logic-mind with grave doubts. How could Tekton even know if what he watched was authentic? The events could be randomly generated imaginings, not real occurrences.

And yet free-mind wanted to trust it. After all, Sole was behind its creation, and Tekton had glimpsed briefly – terrifyingly – the depth and breadth of the Entity’s intelligence.

He shuddered, remembering the assault on his senses, the deluge of knowledge and the overwhelming enigma of the universe. It had left him floundering to recover, saturated in the shock of his own limitations.

‘Focus on Lasper Farr,’ he told the device. ‘Closer.’

The star-verse of glittering motes brightened, and he fell forward again, using facial movements to direct and slow his focus. Bethany was there with Lasper, in the place he fell to, and so was a bulky round-faced ’esque who towered over the pair. The three stood in a large cabin aboard a ship. Lasper’s ship, Tekton thought,