<. . . Gabrielle? My God, it is you, isnt it? Listen to me the Ingersoll is under attack, and>

<I know,> sent Gabrielle. <The Ingersolls pilot has been compromised by the Wanderer, and nobody on board knows about it except me. The only way we can stop the Wanderer getting what it wants is by triggering the nova mine and destroying this entire system.>

<Trigger it?> sent Megan. <Youre kidding, right?>

Gabrielle sighed. Clearly she was going to have to explain things, even though there really wasnt enough time.

<Look, Bash came back to life, a little while back,> she began. <He spoke to me as if he were completely normal. I mean, he was right there, Megan, in the flesh and talking to me. Hes the reason I know all this.>

<Son of a bitch,> shouted Megan. <Are you serious?>

<Very. And he had news.>

Gabrielle then told her everything she knew about the Wanderers ultimate purpose, as well as explaining further about Szymurski, the Ingersolls pilot.

<And youre serious?> repeated Megan. <Hes alive in this . . . what did you call it?>

<Information space,> Gabrielle replied, feeling that she had wasted too much time already.

<God damn,> Megan muttered to herself. <We walked right into a trap.>

<Bash told me how the Wanderer attacked the Ship of the Covenant and stole the data it needed,> Gabrielle added. <And now itll use that same information to destroy everything just to take revenge on the Makers. I know a lot of this must sound like madness, but you have to believe me,> she pleaded.

<Oh, no,> sent Megan, <I believe you. I dont want to, but I do. Maybe Id better tell you what I can see right now from where I am. The Wanderer boosted out of its orbit an hour or so ago, and its heading straight towards you. According to my estimates, itll come into direct contact with the Ingersoll in about another twenty minutes. Some of its components are already in place, and it looks as if theyre preparing to open up the hull so it can dig out the Ingersolls drive. Whatever happens, Gabrielle, you need to get yourself and Bash the hell out of . . .>

Megans voice faded until Gabrielle could hear nothing more than the ships normal background hum. In the next moment, her net access failed abruptly.

She blinked, looking around the dusty supplies room, and guessed that Szymurski or, rather, the thing controlling him had finally cottoned on to her presence.

Ignoring the sudden clutch of fear in her belly, she slid the pistol back out of her pocket, wrapping her fingers around the grip. She was really on her own now.

Stepping back out of the supplies cabin she headed across the corridor towards the entrance to the command deck, taking a firm two-handed grip on the gun, exactly as she had seen Tarrant do on numerous occasions.

She touched the door panel with her elbow, then stepped through just as it slid open.