<As if I was being watched,> he replied. <Near as damn wet myself. You swear you felt that, too, and it wasnt just me having some insanely vivid dream?>

<No,> she sent. <I felt the same thing. Thats exactly what it felt like. Maybe its just interference from those gas clouds.>

Bashs response was full of scorn. <Tell me how the fuck solar interference causes something like that.>

<The only alternative is that its the Wanderer.>

<I dont see anything else around here that could be the cause of something like that, do you? Im looking at the transmissions log right now. Theres no sign of any kind of message coming from it, but we both experienced something that Im pretty sure only a machine-head could understand or experience.>

<So?>

<So maybe,> sent Bash, <the Wanderer is trying to talk to us. Specifically, you and me.>

Megan felt her eyes widen, her hands gripping the armrest of her chair. <But why not the others?>

<All the evidence is that the Wanderer is some kind of machine intelligence. So, if I were to hazard a guess, Id say maybe it reckons were machines too because of our implants.>

Megan?

She pulled up a visual encompassing the command deck and saw that Tarrant had just entered. Anil just alerted me that the Wanderers beacon signal cut off just now, without any warning. Can you confirm that?

She made a quick check and saw he was right. The beacon signal had indeed cut off within just the last minute or two.

<I can confirm it, but I cant tell you why it happened.>

Then theres one other thing I wanted to ask you, he said.

<What?>

Whether either you or Bash have experienced anything unusual since we arrived in-system.

<Im not sure what you mean,> she replied carefully. She opened up the channel so Bash could listen in.

When the Kelvin was here, its two pilots proved to be Tarrant appeared to be searching for the right words sensitive, in some way, to transmissions coming from the Wanderer.

<Holy shit,> said Bash. <Is he talking about what I think hes talking about?>

<What kind of transmissions?> she asked.

<This would be a lot easier, Megan, if you just told me yes or no.>

<All right, yes, we both felt something. Were not sure what it was.>

Well, then, we need to talk about it, he said, stepping back towards the exit. I want you to come down to the ships lounge in half an hour, and join me and Anil. Tell Bash to come as well. We need to talk about what we do next.

<Arent you going to escort me there with a gun to my head?> she sneered. <What exactly are you up to?>