“Haruspis is no longer in the network, even when it is open—and may be dead,” he says. “There are no other Haruspices to watch over the Domain. The number of our agents still reporting has been greatly reduced. Those assembled here may be the last. But our work must proceed, in the hope that circumstances will improve.

“Catalog has been instructed by the Master Juridical to attend the meeting of the new commanders. The last survivors of the New Council have given all power over to the Master Builder.

“Henceforth, all Forerunner command conferences are to be attended by Catalog,” the Master Juridical says. I wonder if there are enough of us! “No exceptions.”

String 29

STRING 29

THE RETURN OF BUILDER COMMAND

THE SPACIOUS CHAMBERS of the Ark’s Cartographer now host five commanders, all Builder Security but for the IsoDidact.

The Ur-Didact, whose ship remains at bay, near Omega Halo, has recused himself from this meeting. He has not responded to any outside communication, Juridicals are informed.

ISODIDACT

Out here, on the edge of the great intergalactic darkness, we are extraordinarily weak and horribly exposed. I have no doubt that very soon the greater Ark will be placed under siege.

The new commanders stand in a wide circle within the Ark, or rather, within a fully detailed projection. Depending on where my attention focuses, my ancilla feeds me prepared memories of the installation’s past activities—the arrival of survivors, removal of specimens to the Halo, positioning of the Halo to sweep Path Kethona. The data arrives in such rapid, dense packets that they give me an annoying headache, as my brain adjusts to torrents of memories.

But that is the way of things in the end game of a war. And we are in the end game. We have lost—that much seems obvious—but our final battle could place us in a position to make the Flood victories seem very bitter indeed.

And so there is no room for disputes within command. The changes have happened; they cannot be reversed. Per mandate of the New Council, Builder Security is now once again in control of the greater Ark.

However, three of the five in attendance used to be Warrior-Servants and once served under my original; that much returns a little confidence. I have to wonder how he would handle his former commanders—and why he’s chosen to abandon us in our time of greatest need. My memories and abilities are the same or better—in his present state. But to many of them he is old and familiar. I am new.

The other commanders experience their own investment with data. Sparkles of individual displays dance around their armor as they ask questions of the installation’s metarch, Offensive Bias.

When the Cartographer has finished its update, I call them to full attention.