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our move。
I had been asleep for about a hour when I woke in the dark to find Medea's fingers stroking my cheek。
As soon as I stirred； she pinched my lips shut tight。
'Spectres； invasive； spiral vine；' she whispered。
My eyes became accustomed to the half…light。 Aemos was snoring。
I rose off my cot and heard what Medea had heard： the stairs outside the rec…room creaking。 Medea was pulling on her flight suit； but
keeping her needle pistol aimed at the door。
I pulled my laspistol from its holster on the floor and then leant over to Aemos； putting my hand over his mouth。
His eyes flicked open。
'Keep snoring but get ready to move；' I whispered into his ear。
Aemos struggled up； snorting out fake snores as he collected up his robe and cane。
I had stripped down to my vest。 My jacket and motion tracker were on the floor at the foot of the cot。 There was no time to reach for
them。
Someone kicked the door in。 The bright blue lances of two laser sights stabbed into the rec…room； and a tight burst of stubber fire blew
holes in my vacated cot and puffed padding fibres up from the wounds in the mattress。
Medea and I returned fire； bracketing the doorway with about a dozen shots between us。 Two dark shapes toppled backwards。
Someone screamed in pain。
A flurry of gunfire from ground level outside slammed up in through the windows； blowing one of them right out of its mounting in a
shower of glascite。 Ruined slat…blinds rippled and jiggled with the impacts。
'Back！' I cried； firing twice at a shape in the doorway。 A triple pulse of answering las…fire scorched past my head。
But light flooded in behind us as a rear door crashed open。 Medea swung around； lithe and long…limbed； and broke in the face of the
first intruder with a high kick that sent him reeling back。
Figures charged in from the doors before and behind us。 I shot two； but then was carried over onto my back by two more who
struggled frantically to rip the laspistol out of my hand。 I kneed one in the groin and shot him through the neck as he coiled away。
The other one had his hands on my throat。
I speared my mind right into his and triggered a massive cerebral haemorrhage that burst his eyeballs and sent him slack。
The smell of blood and cordite and the miners' unwashed bodies was intense。 Medea danced back； and delivered a forearm slam to the
face of another assassin that made him stumble and gasp。
She flexed and delivered a spin…kick which hit him so hard he smashed back out of the window。
Another was coming at her from behind。 I saw a knife blade flash in the gloom。
Aemos； slow but steady； swung round and broke the knife…man's neck with a single punch。 Another thing too easy to underestimate
about my old savant was the inhuman strength his augmetic exo…chassis provided。
There was a little more wild gunfire； and then the spitting sound of Medea's Glavian pistol。
I curved my back and sprang back onto my feet in time to gun down a man with a shotgun who was coming in through the door。
Silence。 Drifting smoke。
Voices were shouting below on the plaza。
'Grab your things！' I ordered。 'We're going right now！'
HALF…DRESSED AND lugging the rest of our kit； we scrambled down the back stairs。 The body of one miner shot by Medea lay
crumpled on the steps under the first landing。 The front of his Ortog Promethium overalls was soaked with blood。
There was a livid birthmark on the side of his awkwardly twisted neck。
'Look familiar？' asked Aemos。
It did。
'Didn't that creep Bandelbi have a birthmark too？' Medea asked。
'Most certainly；' I replied。
WE BROKE OUR way through a series of cluttered storerooms and came out in an access alley behind the shops adjoining the welfare。 A
ginger…haired miner posted as rearguard for the ambush turned in surprise as we emerged； his hands fumbling with the shotgun slung
over his shoulder on a leather strap。
Drop it and come here！ I said； using my will。
He tossed the weapon down and trotted over to us； his eyes glazed and confused。
Show me your neck！ I willed again。
He brushed up his tousled hair with one hand and tugged his worksuit's neckline down with the other。 The birthmark was there；
centred on his nape。
'We haven't got time for this！' Aemos said。 Running footsteps were pounding through the building behind us and we could hear shouts
and curses。
'Where did you get this mark？' I willed at the ginger…haired man。
'Kaleil gave it me；' he said slackly。
What does it mean？
Driven by my undeniable will…force； he tried to say something that the rest of his mind and soul simply forbade。 It sounded like ''Lith''
but it was impossible to say for sure as the effort killed him。
'Dammit； Gregor！ We have to go！' Aemos roared。
As if to prove his point； two miners burst out of the doorway we had come through； aiming autorifles。 Medea and I whipped around as
one and dropped them both； one kill shot each。
AEMOS'S FAULTLESS RECALL led us through the winding sub…streets of Cinchare Minehead to the massive； dank bulk of Imperial
Allied。 There was a hue and cry behind us； mixed with the whine of electric buggies。
We ran across the plant's wide； metal drawbridge； through a rockcrete gatehouse festooned with razorwire； and on down through the
echoing entrance hall。
Footsteps followed。
THE EXCURSION TERMINAL was a semi…circular barn of corrugated steel overlooking the mouth of the main working。 Six prospecting
pods sat in oily iron cradles under the barn's roof。 They were slug…shaped machines； painted in the silver and khaki colours of Imperial
Allied。 Each one had a rack of flood and spotlights mounted above the cockpit； and several large servo arms and locator dishes arrayed
under the chin。
'That one！' Medea yelled； heading for the third in line。 She was still trying to fasten her flight suit properly。 I carried my jacket and
motion tracker。 There had been no time to stop and get dressed。
'Why this one？' I yelled； following her。
'The power hoses are all still attached and it's showing green across the board on the telltales！ Unclamp the hoses！'
I threw my stuff to Aemos； who hurried aboard behind Medea through the small side hatch； and ran to where three thick power cables
were attached to the multi…socket in the flank of the pod。 Just as Medea had noticed； all the indicator lights above the socket were
green。
I twisted the valves and pulled them free； one by one。 The last one was reluctant and needed a moment of brute force。
Las…shots spanked into the hull casing beside me。
I jerked the hose free and then turned； firing back down the length of the barn terminal。 The pod's attitude thrusters began to cough and
wheeze as Medea brought the craft to life。
Solid and las…shots peppered around me。 I ran to the hatch and climbed in。 Medea was at the helm in the cramped cockpit。
'Go！' I cried； slamming the hatch shut。
'Come on！ Come on！' Medea cursed at the pod's controls。 The over…urged engines whined painfully。
'Cradle lock！' Aemos spluttered desperately。
Realising her mistake； Medea swore expertly； eased the power down a tad； and threw a greasy yellow lever on the right…hand
bulkhead。 There was a jarring clank as the locking cuff that held the pod tight in the cradle disengaged。
'Sorry；' she grinned。
Freed； the pod lifted out of its landing cradle； swayed to the right as gunfire hunted for it； and then accelerated away； into the lightless
mouth of the mine tunnels。
THE UPPER WORKINGS of the Imperial Allied mines were huge excavations reinforced with rockcrete and filled with abandoned mining
machines。 Medea kicked in the pod's lamp array and illuminated our path with hard spot…beams of clear white light。 At the far end of
one reinforced spur； the lamps picked out a sudden； wide gradient where the horizontal incuts of the surface mines began their descent。
Running down the steep slope were derelict cable…trams of filthy ore…hoppers and a funicular railway for transporting workcrews to
the lower faces。
Aemos sat behind us in the pod's small cabin； reviewing the charts he had obtained from the security office。 'Continue down；' was all
he said。
The steep access bore descended for about a kilometre and a half； occasionally flattening into work…shelves with entries to side seams。
The view through the front