A cybermouse immediately slipped towards the blemish. This time when the composite softened the charred granules were sucked down, and the small valley closed up.

«Exactly the same thickness and molecular structure as before,» Karl datavised. «That's why the ship's interior looks brand new, and everything's still working flawlessly after thirteen thousand years. The cybermice keep regenerating it. Just keep giving them energy and a supply of mass and there's no reason this ship won't last for eternity.»

«It's almost a von Neumann machine, isn't it?»

«Close. I expect a synthesizer this small has limits. After all, if it could reproduce anything, they would have built themselves another starship. But the principle's here, Captain. We can learn and expand on it. Think of the effect a unit like this will have on our manufacturing industry.»

Marcus was glad he was in an SII suit, it blocked any giveaway facial expressions. Replicator technology would be a true revolution, restructuring every aspect of human society, Adamist and Edenist alike. And revolutions never favoured the old.

I just came here for the money, not to destroy a way of life for eight hundred star systems.

«That's good, Karl. Where did the others go?»

«Down to the third deck. Once we solved the puzzle of the disappearing exoskeletons, they decided it was safe to start exploring again.»

«Fair enough, I'll go down and join them.»

• • •

«I cannot believe you agreed to help them,» Antonio stormed. «You of all people. You know how much the cause is depending on us.»

Jorge gave him a hollow smile. They were together in his sleeping cubicle, which made it very cramped. But it was one place on the starship he knew for certain no sensors were operational; a block he'd brought with him had made sure of that. «The cause has become dependent on your project. There's a difference.»

«What are you talking about?»

«Those detector satellites cost us a million and a half fuseodollars each; and most of that money came from sources who will require repayment no matter what the outcome of our struggle.»

«The satellites are a hell of a lot cheaper than antimatter.»

«Indeed so. But they are worthless to us unless they find pitchblende.»

«We'll find it. Victoria says there are plenty of traces. It's only a question of time before we get a big one.»

«Maybe. It was a good idea, Antonio, I'm not criticizing. Fusion bomb components are not easily obtainable to a novice political organization with limited resources. One mistake, and the intelligence agencies would wipe us out. No, old-fashioned fission was a viable alternative. Even if we couldn't process the uranium up to weapons quality, we can still use it as a lethal large-scale contaminate. As you say, we couldn't lose. Sonora would gain independence, and we would form the first government, with full access to Treasury. Everyone would be reimbursed for their individual contribution to the liberation.»

«So why are we fucking about in a pile of xenoc junk? Just back me up, Jorge, please. Calvert will leave it alone if we both pressure him.»