«Edenist voidhawks are pretty sophisticated,» Marcus countered. «We just scale things differently. These xenocs might have a more advanced technology, but physics is still the same the universe over. Our understanding of quantum relativity is good enough to build faster than light starships, yet after four hundred and fifty years of theoretical research we still haven't come up with a method of supralight communication. It doesn't exist.»

«If they didn't return on time, then surely their homeworld would send out a search and recovery craft,» Schutz said.

«They'd have to know the original ship's course exactly,» Wai said. «And if a search ship did manage to locate them, why did they build the dish?»

Marcus didn't say anything. He knew he was right. The others would accept his scenario eventually, they always did.

«All right, let's stop arguing about what happened to them, and why they built the dish,» Karl said. «When do we go over there, Captain?»

«Have you forgotten the gold?» Antonio asked. «That is why we came to this disc system. We should resume our search for it. This piece of wreckage can wait.»

«Don't be crazy. This is worth a hundred times as much as any gold.»

«I fail to see how. An ancient, derelict starship with a few heating circuits operational. Come along. I've been reasonable indulging you, but we must return to the original mission.»

Marcus regarded the man cautiously, a real bad feeling starting to develop. Anyone with the slightest knowledge of finance and the markets would know the value of salvaging a xenoc starship. And Antonio had been born rich. «Victoria,» he said, not shifting his gaze, «is the data from the magnetic array satellites still coming through?»

«Yes.» She touched Antonio's arm. «The Captain is right. We can continue to monitor the satellite results from here, and investigate the xenoc ship simultaneously.»

«Double your money time,» Katherine said with apparent innocence.

Antonio's face hardened. «Very well,» he said curtly. «If that's your expert opinion, Victoria, my dear. Carry on by all means, Captain.»

• • •

In its inert state the SII spacesuit was a broad sensor collar with a protruding respirator tube and a black football-sized globe of programmable silicon hanging from it. Marcus slipped the collar round his neck, bit on the tube nozzle, and datavised an activation code into the suit's control processor. The silicon ball began to change shape, flattening out against his chest, then flowing over his body like a tenacious oil slick. It enveloped his head completely, and the collar sensors replaced his eyes, datavising their vision directly into his neural nanonics. Three others were in the preparation compartment with him: Schutz, who didn't need a spacesuit to EVA, Antonio, and Jorge. Marcus had managed to control his surprise when they'd volunteered. At the same time, with Wai flying the MSV he was glad they weren't going to be left behind in the ship.

Once his body was sealed by the silicon, he climbed into an armoured exoskeleton with an integral cold-gas manoeuvring pack. The SII silicon would never puncture, but if he was struck by a rogue particle the armour would absorb the impact.