“You survived two contacts with unknown actors, unknown threat vectors.” Andrade looks at me like he’s trying to tunnel in. “We aren’t leaving in the middle of the night by preference.”

“They wouldn’t find anything,” I growl.

“I know. Believe me, I know.” He pauses. “The point is: we have no idea how many more of those things are out there. Worse, we don’t know where they are, what they’re doing, or how they spread.”

But I can’t shake the itch. “And so you came to us?”

“For the same reason NorCol is thinking of dissecting you, shell and jockey, mind and body. You’re the only one who’s tangled with a hollow and come out in one piece. Whatever they had, you didn’t catch it.”

I glance at Hail.

Andrade follows the look. “Yes, she told me, right after you told her. You fought the infection off, and that makes you our best chance of getting eyes on the source, if there is one. Maybe even some kind of explanation.” He rolls his head around on his shoulders. “More importantly, you’ve got experience, and a running start.”

“You want us to follow the beacon.”

He nods. “It had a list of locator frequencies. Something to help you find your way back to sender.”

“I remember.” I glance back at Hail. “I also remember that she filed them off.”

“I did what I had to do.” She settles back in her seat. “If I hadn’t, we’d have lost it all to a full-timer with half the brains and none of the reason. And he”—she nods to Folau—“wouldn’t have had free rein looking for them.”

“It was difficult enough,” he adds. “As it turns out, the frequencies weren’t Sigurd standard.”

Andrade laughs. “I saw those numbers. They aren’t anything standard. If I had to guess, that beacon was used by someone deep-level. Special operations, maybe. Or high-tier R&D. Someone with answers, if we’re lucky.”

“Whoever they were,” says Hail, “you were right. They were trying hard to get found.”

“But you traced them back?” I ask.

“No,” says Folau. “It isn’t possible from Horizon. The bands are full of shit and noise from the Eye.” He jerks a thumb at the Werewolf. “Hail’s friend here couldn’t reach them either. Too far away. Too much interference.”

“Which is why you’re going to go and see for yourselves,” says Andrade. The train slows, and he looks out the window. “We’re here.”