Bechimo
In which the reward for a job well done is another job to do.
And it’s another job that’s going to involve talking to ships with their own intelligences. Being bonded with Bechimo probably means Theo has more of those to look forward to.
Sending the Old Tech repair and salvage vessels to deal with the wreckage of the Pathfinders’ ship is a good idea on a couple of levels. For one thing, it’s technology they’re familiar with, which makes the job a good fit for them (because they’re not getting unfamiliar tech to deal with on top of the overal unfamiliarity of the situation) and them a good fit for the job (because there’s probably not another clean-up crew in this universe that’s as familiar with the tech). But also, it fits the mission objective of sending them a long way from Surebleak.
Ah-ha! The lead in to—at least part of—the next book!
Will Stone Ronin and crew happen to discover some unexpected artifacts once they get there? And, btw, what is this comment from Theo about the area being cleared so that “there are no accidents with existing shipping.” On the one hand, yes, I agree with the reasoning, but, on the other hand, what existing shipping could be involved? The whole reason Bechimo was out there was because this was space he had found that was out of the way of any known routes, where he was “safe” from discovery…so what shipping would be affected?
On the topic of the Orbital Aid 370: I wonder what else may have slipped in from the Old Universe during the times that Bechimo was not monitoring his “safe” space?
Interesting possibility,Ed8r. I had only thought the Orbital Aid job was a fitting — if simple — task for newly freed smart ships, but you’ve added a layer of intrigue.
I don’t think it comes up in this chapter, but it’s suggested in Val Con’s conversation with Jeeves later that the nature of the safe spaces was tied to the remaining links with the old universe, and now that those have been closed off the safe spaces will have either ceased to exist entirely or become a more normal kind of space. Either way, that would suggest that ships might be more likely now to come across whatever’s left of what was in the safe spaces.