Bechimo
In which the Pathfinders join the conversation.
Chernak and Stost are welcomed back with some of Clarence’s baking — more maize buttons?
I note that neither Theo, this chapter, nor the Bosses, last chapter, have agreed with my assessment that taking time to reach a solution would be advantageous. I suppose that, like Val Con earlier, they would prefer an unstable situation to be settled as soon as possible. I still think that a quick resolution is only to be desired if one can be sure of the direction in which it will be resolved.
Though Chernak and Stost recognise the name of Aberthaz Ferry, I don’t believe it’s mentioned anywhere in the prequel duology. Presumably we will get more of its story later.
On first reading, I took “they say a universe ended recently” to be a sign that the Old Tech fleet are new to this universe, like Chernak and Stost are, but that doesn’t fit the idea of them having been held in reserve by the Department for a long time, and also Theo would probably not have been puzzled by that. On reflection, I think they’re referring to the intervention by Ren Zel and Tolly at the end of Neogenesis.
I think it’s interesting that Aberthaz Ferry recognizes Spiral Dance and notes that that ship is not in the “DOI shared library,” whatever that is. Also, it seems that Ferry expects the Spiral Dance to answer for itself, rather than its pilots answering (which, in response to Theo, they did not).
I don’t know whether we’ve discussed this yet, and I know there will be a bit more addressed later (so maybe I should wait) but, how are any of these machines/devices still functional—and not insane like Tinsori Light? They are all powered by fractins from the Old Universe, and those have been deteriorating ever since they arrived in this universe, with no replenishment that we know of (which we are told in Balance of Trade and Trade Secret).
Paul: I took “they say a universe ended recently” to be a sign that the Old Tech fleet are new to this universe. I believe this was a source of confusion to me during my first read, if not the second (and third?) because—how could they be in some kind of DOI library of devices and also still be recognizing the time of migration as the time the universe ended? I think it’s important to know—because we had only one little aside in Neogenesis—that yes indeed, Ren Zel did not just close off the rift between universes, but he actually remade this universe.
I understood the “DOI shared library” to be a catalogue of Old Tech vessels that the DOI knows to have transferred to the new universe. Spiral Dance wouldn’t be in it because it’s only just completed the transfer, and the only place it’s been since then is Surebleak where Val Con’s been making an effort to make sure nobody who might recognise it would get a good look.