As far as I can tell, the life-support systems across most of the ship were disabled. Only a few corridors and rooms immediately adjacent to the command deck, and the quarters she shared with Bash, remained pressurized. I think they suffocated.

Youre telling me the two of us are the only ones still alive on this whole damn ship?

No, she said, not just us. Bash is still alive, back in our cabin.

That doesnt make sense, Tarrant whispered. Why keep him alive? Or even us, for that matter? Szymurski could have easily dumped the atmosphere from the command deck, and us along with it.

The answer, when it came to her, filled Gabrielle with a sick horror. Because it wants me and Bash alive, thats why.

See if you can access the external feeds, urged Tarrant. Tell me what you see.

Images appeared at her command, showing the outer hull of the Ingersoll. A dozen alien-looking forms clung to the outside of the ship, just like maggots burrowing into carrion.

I can see it, she announced. The Wanderers coming apart, separating into thousands of individual components. Some of them are currently digging their way through the Ingersolls skin.

Its coming apart?

Its not a single ship at all, she explained, but composed of thousands of autonomous pieces same as the Maker Swarms. It stayed all clumped together so youd think there was only one of it. As long as any of those separate parts survive, it can reconstitute itself entirely. That means it cant be killed, Gregor.

Dear God. He looked as if he was experiencing severe difficulty breathing. Do it, then. Blow the damn sun up. You can do it from that chair.

She tried to comply, then found her way blocked. It took her a moment to work out what had gone wrong.

Its been sabotaged, she said hopelessly. Szymurski must have fixed it, under the Wanderers control.

Come here, said Tarrant, fumbling inside his jacket. That means youre going to have to arm the mine manually from within the engineering bay.

Just as Gabrielle disengaged from the chair, she noticed one of the Wanderers components disappear from sight as it worked its way deeper inside the hull.

It was already inside the ship, she realized. The thought of it in there alongside them made her skin crawl.

A vibration began humming through the deck underfoot, but instead of fading away after a moment, as it had done before, it grew stronger. Gabrielle could hear the sound of metal being stressed beyond its limit, a high-pitched shriek like the cries of damned souls.

She went over to kneel beside Tarrant, reaching inside his jacket pocket and pulling out the slim card he had been trying to extract.

Take it to engineering, he said, in a whisper that she had to strain to hear. Theres a cradle there that the nova mine was transported in, prior to its launch. You need to find it.

And then what?