Nova War

'Emissary KaTiKiAn-Sha represents a culture at least as powerful and as widespread as the Shoal. Like the Shoal, they possess superluminal technology, and they have also been at war with the Shoal for a very long time.'

'But how? I mean, I thought the Shoal-'

'They lied, Mr Corso. Their knowledge of superluminal technology is not unique. The Emissaries originate from another spiral arm, several thousand light-years distant. Even I myself wasn't aware of their existence until very recently' Honeydew paused for a moment as if not sure what to say next. 'It is possible that the Shoal are losing their contest with these Emissaries.'

'So where do I come into all this?'

'My Queen intends to offer certain information to the Emissaries in return for a favourable position within their expanding empire.'

'The derelict,' Corso croaked. 'Your Queen's going to give it to that thing?'

'Yes – and possibly yourself as well, if the Emissaries demand it.'

Corso felt the blood drain from his face. 'Is she fucking insane?' he finally managed to stammer.

The Bandati agent regarded Corso with expressionless blank eyes for what seemed like a very, very long time. Then he turned and began to walk away towards the entrance to the docking bay.

After a moment the surviving guard prodded at Corso's shoulder, and he reluctantly followed, his thoughts in turmoil. Nineteen 'I just want to know what the Emissaries intend to do with the derelict,' Corso demanded, following hot on Honeydew's heels as they left the bay behind them. The guard walked close behind Corso, occasionally prodding him in the back to keep him moving in the right direction.

'Your protocols will be used to extract any useful data from the derelict's stacks. They are now the property of my Queen, to do with as she sees fit as the ruler, mother and protector of us all.'

'But there's something here that doesn't make any sense. You said the Emissaries are at war with the Shoal, also that they've got superluminal capability. Fine. But what could they possibly get from the derelict that they don't have already?'

'Knowledge,' said Honeydew, coming to a halt and turning to face him, 'the desire for which drives us all to leave the worlds of our birth. Does that answer your question, Mr Corso?'

'They're from another spiral arm, yet they came all that way just for a ship that can do something they already know about? Surely that doesn't add up. What kind of knowledge?'

'Life,' said Honeydew, 'is often the sweeter for not asking difficult questions.'

'No way,' Corso replied hotly. He could see they were now heading for the entrance to another bay. 'You still need me, remember. You told me they're wi

His mind was racing ahead, so furiously that he almost forgot Honeydew was still standing there. 'So if they're wi

He closed his eyes as the truth finally opened itself to him. When he opened them again, he saw Honeydew busily chittering to the guard who still stood next to him. After a moment the guard walked away, spread his wings and soared upwards into a light-filled shaft.

'They claim they had no previous knowledge of the drive's destructive potential,' Honeydew replied, turning back to him. 'The Queen is now offering them the proof that it can be used as a weapon. The derelict, and your protocols, along with the recent destruction of Nova Arctis, will greatly accelerate their weapons research.'

Corso stared, feeling numb. 'But you said the Shoal were losing the fight, which shouldn't be the case if their weapons potential is much more advanced than that of the Emissaries.' He thought hard. 'Unless, for some reason, the Shoal have been deliberately avoiding using nova weapons.'

'One might also assume that if the Shoal did make use of such weapons,' Honeydew responded, 'it might not take long for a rival species, with access to the same tools, to devise their own equally deadly response.'

'So the Shoal are just frightened of escalating the war?' But how long, he wondered, could they go on losing before they changed their minds?

'Much of this is, by necessity, little more than speculation, Mr Corso. But one might reasonably deduce that to be the case.'

'But if the Emissaries know about the derelict – and presumably already have some idea of what happened at Nova Arctis – then the secret's pretty much out, isn't it?'

'Yes, indeed. Hence their desire to acquire the derelict and accelerate their research.'

'Are you insane?' Corso screamed. 'You want to hand over that kind of power to things like… like that?'

The Bandati moved so fast Corso barely had time to register that the little alien suddenly had one small hand wrapped around his throat. He tried to breathe, but it was like his neck was trapped inside a steel vice that was slowly getting tighter and tighter. A pain induction device suddenly appeared in the Bandati's other hand, and a moment later Corso was curled up in agony on the deck.

'My Queen believes that selling this information to the Emissaries will give us an advantage we could never achieve under the Shoal's existing hegemony,' Honeydew explained, standing over him. 'It is her belief that we can grow stronger, that we can gain greater leverage for occupying many more systems than the Shoal would ever allow us, and thus give birth to yet more powerful Hives. That is her goal.'

Corso slowly pulled himself back up onto his knees, choosing his words more carefully this time. 'If that monster back there is typical of the Emissaries, I don't think they're the kind to return a favour unless they really have to.'

'Perhaps you are right,' Honeydew replied. 'I am sorry'

Corso squinted up at the winged alien. 'Excuse me?'

'I am sorry that you are involved in this, Mr Corso. The Emissary demanded to speak to you personally, otherwise she threatened to destroy our entire fleet. You see, then, that we had no choice.'

Honeydew reached down and grabbed Corso by the arm, pulling him upright again. Corso stood, dazed, and watched as the door to the bay before them slid open. He realized Honeydew was now taking him back to the Piri Reis.

Honeydew led the way still, and Corso followed at a wary distance. 'You don't like this any more than I do, do you?' he shouted after the alien. 'How do you know those things aren't going to take your Hive for everything it's worth?'

'Life is full of calculated risks,' Honeydew answered without turning.

'Yeah, but how good are the odds?'

They came to the platform that would drop them down to where the Piri Reis was kept. 'The highest risks bring the greatest gains.' Honeydew replied, coming to a halt once more. 'Or so my Queen believes. You are a clever man, Lucas Corso, and my Queen will reward you if you do what she requires. In the meantime, the protocol fragments you retrieved are being studied for evidence of tampering, and to see if they can be implemented without your further involvement.'

Corso swallowed on hearing his worst fears confirmed. 'I didn't know you had your own experts in this kind of thing.'

'Our civilization goes back much further than that of your own species; to paraphrase a saying I recall from my ambassadorial duties within the Consortium, we have forgotten more than you have ever known. Anyway, we have our own, secret source of knowledge relating to this field, and it's one we've had access to for a very long time.'

They stepped onto the platform and descended into the lower bay. 'So why have you brought me back here just now?' Corso asked.