“That’s insane!” Callum protested. “Even if the universe was cyclical, and due to collapse, that won’t happen for billions of years. I don’t care how bloody good your technology is; you can’t keep a brain alive for that long.”

“The Olyix’s journey will not take them billions of years,” Jessika said wearily. “Their enclave is an extremely sophisticated manipulation of space-time; minutes pass inside it, while the millennia flow by outside. It is what makes them so difficult to fight.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Kandara asked. “To get us to join you in some kind of galactic war? A counter-crusade?”

“No, you are on your own. I do not know where the Neána are, or even if they still exist. My people fled the Olyix eons ago; there is no knowing how far they have gone now. I know some part of them remains in this galaxy, for that is where I came from. But we were never given any knowledge of them, in case we were captured. My colleagues and I have discussed this many times. We assumed the logical thing for the Neána would be to leave this galaxy altogether. It may be that they just left automated stations behind, alert for new species so they can send guides like me.”

Kandara looked over at Yuri. “Do you believe her?”

He glanced down at the pale alien flesh inside Feriton’s skull. “I believe they caught Feriton when he was on his spy mission. That means Ainsley was right all along. I don’t know what they’ll do, if they’ll elevate us like Jessika claims, or just nuke us back to the Stone Age. But I accept the Olyix are not our friends.”

Kandara nodded. “I agree—until anything better comes along.” Her targeting laser switched off, and she lowered her arm as the flesh resealed over the weapon. “I’m watching you,” she told Jessika.

If it bothered Jessika, she didn’t show it. “If any of you have received Kcell implants, I would advise you to have them surgically removed immediately,” she said. “They can alter and multiply faster than any tumor; that’s why they were given to you. And the Salvation of Life now has confirmation humans have been warned by the Neána. I’m sorry, but that isn’t good. They will begin your elevation.”

“Yeah? How?” Alik demanded. “I’d like to see them try. The Salvation’s a big-ass ship, for sure, but it’s only one, all by itself. And Alpha Defense has a shitload of real evil weapons.”

“I told you,” Jessika said, “the Salvation of Life contains the entrance to a wormhole that leads back to the Olyix enclave. They will send an armada of their deliverance-class ships through to elevate you. In simple terms, that’s a planetary invasion force.”