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

To live for ever and die often, it considered. Or at least to think that you’re going to die. Perhaps that is one way of achieving

wisdom. It was not a completely original insight, but it was one that had, perhaps understandably, never struck the GSV with such force before.

The Sleeper watched the humans aboard the Jaundiced Outlook respond as the avatar told them they’d been reprieved. It would follow their reactions, of course, but it had other things to do at the same time. Like think about what it was to do with the new knowledge it had.

It watched its distributed warcraft rise within the skein of real space; raptors within an infinite sky. Meat, could it do some goodly mischief now . . . It started by diverting a few hundred ships in the direction of the Not Invented Here.

XI

XI

The Grey Area watched the Excession’s fiery tide fall back and reduce almost to nothing. They were going to live! Probably.

The Sleeper’s three warships continued to decelerate it down to the velocities its engines would be able to cope with. They seemed to have been perfectly undisturbed by the whole appalling scenario. Perhaps, thought the Grey Area, there was after all something to be said for being a relatively brainless AI core.

~ That was close! it sent to them.

~ Yes, said one of the craft, flatly. The others remained silent.

~ Weren’t you a little worried there? it asked the talkative one.

~ No. What would be the point of worrying?

~ Ha! Well, indeed, the Grey Area sent. Cretin, it thought.

It looked back out, ahead, to where the Excession was. And what of you? it thought. Something that could put the fear of death into a GSV. That really was something. What are you? it wondered.

How it would love to know.

~ Excuse me while I signal, it said to its military escorts.

[tight beam, Mclear, tra. @4.28.891.7352]
xGCU Grey Area
oExcession call-signed “I”

Let’s talk, shall we?

XII

XII

Captain Greydawn Latesetting X of the Farsight tribe stared at the display. The vast pulse of energy the thing near Esperi had directed at the Culture General Systems Vehicle had disappeared. In its place, as though appearing from behind it, was . . . It could not be so. He checked. He contacted his comrades in the other ships. Those who answered thought it must be some malfunction in their vessels’ sensors; an effect of the energies which had been directed at the giant Culture craft. He asked his own ship, the Heavy Messing.

~ What is that?

~ That is a cloud of warships, it told him.

~ A what?

~ I think it best described as a cloud of warships. This is not a generally accepted term, I hasten to add, but I cannot think of a better description. I count approximately eighty thousand craft.

~ Eighty thousand!