~ Madness. This thing is welded into the grids, both directions. Know anything that can do that? Me neither. I’m not even going to start feeling safe until there’s a fleet of GSVs round here. Heck, I was pleased to see you there; Company at last, I thought. Somebody to pass the time with while I sit out my lonely vigil. Now you want to start poking this thing with a stick. Are you crazy?

~ No, but we might have a ship in distress in there. I can’t just sit here doing nothing. Have you attempted to contact the entity?

~ No. I sent back a pro forma to its initial Hello, but . . . wait a moment. Look at the signal it sent (signal enclosed).

~ There. You see? I told you! That was probably an Elench-sourced handshake burst.

~ Meatshit. Yes, I see. Well, maybe your pal did find the damn thing first, but if it did, it probably did exactly what you’re proposing to do. And it’s gone. Disappeared. You seeing where this is leading?

~ I intend to be careful.

~ Uh-huh. Was your comrade vessel notoriously careless?

~ Indeed not.

~ Well then.

~ I appreciate your concern. Was there any sign of contention in the volume when you got here? Emergency or distress signals? Voyage Event Record Ejectiles?

~ There was this, here (material analysis/location enclosed), but if you want to mention any of this stuff on record you’d better make it look like you just stumbled across the debris, all right?

~ Thank you. Yes, of course. . . . Looks like one of our little-drones was caught up in something. Hmm. Sort of . . . smells subsidiary somehow, don’t you think?

~ Possibly. I know what you mean. It’s untidy.

~ Back on record?

~ Okay.

~ I hereby give notice I intend to attempt to contact the entity.

~ I beg you not to. Let me make a request that you be allowed to take part in the Culture investigation when it takes place. I’m sure there is every chance you will be welcome to share in the relevant data.

~ I’m sorry, I have my own reasons for considering the matter urgent.

~ Off record again?

~ All right.

~ My records show you to be - to all intents and purposes - identical to the Peace Makes Plenty.

~ Yes. Go on?

~ Don’t you see? Look, if this thing jeopardised your comrade with no more fuss than an escaped little-drone, what’s it going to be able to do now that it’s had a chance to pick over the structure and mind-set of your sister craft for at least sixty-six days?

~ I have the benefit of being forewarned. And the entity may not have been able entirely to take over the Peace Makes Plenty yet. The ship might be inside there, under siege. Perhaps all the entity’s intellectual energies are being absorbed in the maintenance of that blockade. That being the case my intervention may lift the siege and free my comrade.