BooksBarbecue
Back Excession
Chapters (108)
  1. About the Author
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. 1 - Outside Context Problem
  6. I
  7. II
  8. III
  9. IV
  10. V
  11. VI
  12. 2 - Not Invented Here
  13. I
  14. II
  15. III
  16. 3 - Uninvited Guests
  17. I
  18. II
  19. III
  20. IV
  21. 4 - Dependency Principle
  22. I
  23. II
  24. III
  25. IV
  26. V
  27. 5 - Kiss The Blade
  28. I
  29. II
  30. III
  31. IV
  32. V
  33. VI
  34. 6 - Pittance
  35. I
  36. II
  37. III
  38. IV
  39. V
  40. VI
  41. 7 - Tier
  42. I
  43. II
  44. III
  45. IV
  46. 8 - Killing Time
  47. I
  48. II
  49. III
  50. IV
  51. V
  52. VI
  53. VII
  54. VIII
  55. 9 - Unacceptable Behaviour
  56. I
  57. II
  58. III
  59. IV
  60. V
  61. VI
  62. VII
  63. VIII
  64. IX
  65. X
  66. XI
  67. XII
  68. XIII
  69. XIV
  70. 10 - Heavy Messing
  71. I
  72. II
  73. III
  74. IV
  75. V
  76. VI
  77. VII
  78. VIII
  79. IX
  80. X
  81. XI
  82. XII
  83. XIII
  84. XIV
  85. XV
  86. 11 - Regarding Gravious
  87. I
  88. II
  89. III
  90. IV
  91. V
  92. VI
  93. VII
  94. VIII
  95. IX
  96. X
  97. XI
  98. XII
  99. XIII
  100. XIV
  101. 12 - Faring Well
  102. I
  103. II
  104. III
  105. IV
  106. V
  107. VI
  108. Epilogue

I don’t know. Two decades of reliable but totally boring reports and then just when it might have been handy to know what the big bugger was really up to, the intelligence conduit caves in. All I can think of is that our mutual friend . . . oh, hell, might as well call it by its real name now I suppose . . . is that the Sleeper Service discovered the link - we don’t know when - and waited until it had something to hide before it started messing with our intelligence.

∞

Yes, but what’s it doing? We thought it was just being invited to join the Group out of politeness, didn’t we? Suddenly it’s acting like a fucking missile. What is it up to?

∞

This may seem rather obvious, but we could always just ask it.

∞

Tried that. Still waiting.

∞

Well you could have said . . .

∞

I beg your pardon. So now what?

∞ Now I get a load of bullshit from the Steely Glint. Excuse me. ∞

[tight beam, M32, tra. @n4.28.868.8243]
xLSV Serious Callers Only
oGCV Steely Glint

Our mutual friend with the velocity obsession. This wouldn’t be what we really expected, would it? Some private deal, by any chance?

∞

[tight beam, M32, tra. @n4.28.868.8499]
xGCV Steely Glint
oLSV Serious Callers Only

No it isn’t! I’m getting fed up repeating this; I should have posted a general notice. No; we wanted the damn thing’s views, some sort of entirely outside viewpoint, not it tearing off to anywhere near the Excession itself.

It was part of the Gang before, you know. We owed it that, no matter that it is now Eccentric.

Would that we had known how much . . .

Now we’ve got another horrendous variable screwing up our plans.

If you have any helpful suggestions I’d be pleased to hear them. If all you can do is make snide insinuations then it would probably benefit all concerned if you bestowed the fruits of your prodigious wit on someone with the spare time to give them the consideration they doubtless deserve.

∞

[stuttered tight point, M32, tra. @n4.28.868.8978]
xLSV Serious Callers Only
oEccentric Shoot Them Later

(signal file attached) What did I tell you? I don’t know about this. Looks suspicious to me.

∞

Hmm. And I don’t know, either. I hate to say it, but it sounds genuine. Of course, if I prove to be wrong you will never confront me with this, ever, all right?

∞

If, after all this is over, we are both still in a position for me to confer and you to benefit from such leniency, I shall be infinitely glad to extend such forbearance.

∞

Well, it could have been expressed more graciously, but I accept this moral blank cheque with all the deference it merits.

∞

I’m going to call the Sleeper Service. It won’t take any notice of me but I’m going to call the meatworm anyway.

IV

IV