‘They are requesting confirmation of our report that we picked up a prisoner adrift in the void… They want us to confirm that she is alive.’

‘Where is the ship?’ asked Vek, before the duty officer could ask.

‘I don’t know. Close, I’d guess, to have picked us out.’

Vek rubbed his hands over his forehead. This could be a chance… They needed to dock at Oberon, unload the hundreds of souls in their holds. Maybe he could even use this to barter transport for him and the children to Saturn or the inner system.

‘Confirm and respond that we will hand the prisoner over in dock at Oberon. Ask them to follow us in.’

The signal officer blinked at him, then at the watch officer, who looked relieved that someone other than him had decided. The signaller began to key controls.

‘Stop!’ The call came from the doors to the bridge. Vek turned as Aksinya vaulted up the stairs onto the helm platform. His lifeward’s face was flushed, her eyes wide. ‘Do not transmit!’

‘What–’ began Vek.

‘Don’t transmit that signal,’ called Aksinya, striding forwards, but the signal officer was keying her controls with fatigue-narrowed focus. Aksinya leapt towards the officer, but the distance was a fraction too far and the officer’s hand pulled the transmission lever a fraction of a second before Aksinya yanked the woman’s hand back. The officer let out a yelp of pain. Aksinya looked down at her for a moment, breathing hard, then she turned to Vek and grabbed his arm. ‘Sir, you have to come with me now,’ she hissed, just below the hearing of everyone but him. The bridge crew were looking around, puzzlement blending with the exhaustion on their faces.

‘Why?’ he said, trying to pull his arm free as Aksinya shoved him towards the bridge’s main exit.

‘Why would they want to confirm whether the prisoner is alive? Why in all that is happening would they seek us out to make sure?’

Vek felt the blood in his limbs become ice.

He could see the great bulk of another freighter through the pitted armourglass of the viewport, so close it appeared you could have jumped from one to the other.

He opened his mouth.

Macro shells struck the freighter beyond the viewport and tore it into shreds of metal and tatters of flame.

‘Listen to me!’ Mersadie shouted at the door. ‘I need to speak to your master. He needs to speak to me!’ The door remained shut.

‘They won’t listen,’ said Nilus. ‘Think about it. They have no reason to, and every reason to think that talking to an escaped prisoner might be a very bad idea.’

She did not reply but looked at the door. Nilus shifted from where he sat in the corner of the chamber and poked at the single bowl of broth the guard had brought.

‘There has to be a way to make them listen.’