‘You decide now,’ the Ghost said again. ‘You allow this crew, in this ship, to follow my instructions, or I disconnect the link.’

Hella said, ‘I guess the Integumentary has its own pressures. Imagine trying to run a covert operation like this from our side.’

‘We’ll follow your orders, whatever you say, Commodore,’ Hex said.

‘I know you will,’ Teel said dismissively. ‘But I’ve no way of assessing your chances of success - let alone survival.’

‘Our survival is irrelevant, sir,’ Jul said.

‘I know that’s what you’re taught, engineer. Perhaps there are a few desk-bound Commissaries back on Earth who actually believe that. But out here we who do the fighting are still human. The mission has a greater chance of success if you’re willing to take it on.’

‘I’m willing,’ Borno said immediately.

‘I’ve seen your file, gunner. What about those of you who aren’t psychopathically hostile to the Ghosts and all their works?’

Hella was uncertain. ‘We’re flight crew. We aren’t infantry, or covert operatives. We may not be right for the job.’

‘We’re Aleph Force,’ Hex said firmly. ‘In Aleph Force you do whatever it takes.’

‘Anyhow I don’t think there’s a choice,’ Jul said. ‘Us or nobody.’

Hella asked, ‘So what do you think, pilot?’

Hex looked into her soul. A journey into the very heart of Ghost territory - a mission that might turn the course of the war - how could she refuse? ‘I’m in.’

Jul, Hella and Borno quickly concurred.

‘I’m proud of you,’ the Commodore said.

The Ghost spun. ‘Humans!’

Hex snapped, ‘All right, Ghost, let’s get on with it. Where are we going?’

More data chattered into the Spear’s banks.

III

The Spear of Orion swept through space. The needleship moved from point to point through hyperdrive jumps, each too brief for a human eye to follow, so that the stars seemed to slide through the sky like lamp posts beside a road. For the crew the journey was a routine marvel.

But Hex and her crew had come far from the outermost boundary of human space, farther than any human had travelled from Earth save for a handful of explorers. And every star they could see must host a Ghost emplacement: if humanity was turning the Galaxy green, then this rich chunk of it still gleamed Ghost-silver. But the Spear remained undisturbed.

‘It’s eerie,’ engineer Jul said. ‘Ghosts should be swarming all over us.’

Hex said, ‘The Integumentary promised to make us invisible to the Ghosts’ sensors, and it’s keeping its word.’

Jul, a practical engineer, snorted. ‘I’d feel a lot more reassured if I knew how.’

Borno said, ‘What do you expect? Ghosts don’t give you anything.’ His pent-up rage, here in Ghost territory, was tangible.

They sailed on in tense silence.