We finished knowing little more than when we began—a vague recognition of shared heritage, a realization that these ships, gathered about the star roads like so many flocks of dead birds suspended in a silent gray cathedral, reminded us of archaic designs in Builder ritual. No more. And no less.

“They were Forerunner, that’s all we may ever know,” Clearance said.

“We could transport the best Builder technicians out here,” Keeper suggested. “We could set loose our finest researchers to go ship by ship … Then we would learn!”

But Keeper’s enthusiasm was not convincing. Back in our home galaxy, where nearly all of Forerunner history had played out, preparations to fight the advance of the Flood would certainly take precedence.

The one thing we could all surmise about the great fleet we were leaving behind, mute and pitifully old, was that no species had ever mounted such an effort except to save itself. No species had ever gone to such great lengths for any purpose other than all-out war.

And what about the Precursors, whose cathedral roads stretched around so many planets and interlaced the stars?

Where had they gone?

* * *

Audacity took us to the inner stars of the great Spider in yet another jump, toward the tiny orange sun.

Fresh light from the unique living world greeted us as we arrived in the target system—light less than two seconds old. “Wonderful, fresh light,” Chant noted. “Makes me feel more connected to reality.”

What had been statistical from a great distance now resolved to certainty. Here, there were no star roads, no orbiting constructs, no ships. Audacity brought us sharp images even through the planet’s wavering atmosphere.

We studied individuals—most seen from above—as well as gatherings in small towns or villages. Tens of thousands, perhaps more. But certainly not millions.

A lonely and simple planet.

Our emotions reached down.

“Their technological status is minimal—fire, ceramics, some metal-working,” Dawn said. “Because they are so few, even compared to their resources, they must exercise population control. Beyond that, they seem to have returned to a state of natural evolution.”

Chant continued with less startling details. “Subsurface and volcanic vent biota is nonexistent. There’s nothing in the way of an underground biosphere. No signs of ancient reservoirs of fuel—carbonaceous or petroleum-based.”

“If they arrived with the fleet,” Keeper said, “they’ve been here ten million years.”

A prospect so astonishing it could scarcely be believed. Either their ancestors had been forced to colonize a desperately impoverished planet, or they had long ago shed most of their knowledge.

We absorbed this with the proper silent respect.

“Lack of resources could hold back progress,” Keeper said. I noticed a certain doubtful disdain in his tone.

“Even so, they must have stripped themselves of everything,” Dawn said in wonder.