"Any deal you get a friend out of is a good one." Her satisfaction is deep and genuine. "And I'd like that. Ghost says there's only a couple of his movies in the files back home." She sets the tool aside and pulls back for a second: the Ghost's just flown over again. It latches on to the metal flakes in what looks like a miniature tractor beam, and darts off again, intent on its work.

Blaze picks up as it departs. "See, most of the time we're just reclaiming things from the wilderness, same as you are. We've had a few extra centuries to search, but you're closer to your collapse. I'll bet you know things our cryptarchs would spend years figuring out."