'Greetings, she said in a pleasant, almost girlish voice. 'I've heard a lot about you.

'Sadly I can't return the compliment, he said, reading off the protocol behaviour program showing in his exovision.

'I'm Neskia, I run the station. My predecessor was most favourable in his assessment of your abilities. Our Faction would like to thank you for returning.

As if I had a choice. 'All very well, but why exactly am I here? Is the swarm malfunctioning?

'Not at all. She gestured gracefully, her neck curving in a fluidly serpentine motion to keep her face aligned on him as she started walking. Troblum followed her along the curve, his case hovering just behind his head. Up above them, a circular door irised open. The station's internal nature had certainly changed in seventy years.

'Oh.

'You sound disappointed, she said and hesitated by the door.

Troblum wasn't sure if the circle had flipped out of the curve to stand upright or if the local gravity manipulation was even weirder than his ordinary senses told him. He refused to verify with a field scan. Disorientation attempts were really very childish. 'Not disappointed. I assume I'm here to inspect and validate the swarm, just in case the worst case Pilgrimage scenario proves true. There have been a few recent advances which could be used to upgrade.

'The swarm has dispersed to its deployment point. It has been constantly upgraded. We don't anticipate the Void's expansion to pose any problem.

'Really? So that's why you kept this station going.

'Among other things. She stepped through the door and into a corridor that had the old simple grey-blue layout which Troblum recognized. They hadn't changed everything.

'I've assigned you a suite in sector 7-B-5, Neskia said. 'You can have it modified to your own tastes, just tell the station smartcore what you want.

'Thank you. And the reason I'm here?

'We are building twelve ultradrive engines to power the Pilgrimage fleet. Your experience in the assembly techniques we are using is unmatched.

Troblum stopped abruptly, his case almost banging into the back of his head. 'Ultradrive?

'Yes.

You mean it's real? I always assumed it was just a rumour.

'It isn't. You'll be working with a small team, fifty or so experts have been recruited. The Neumann cybernetics that built the swarm will handle the actual fabrication.

'Fascinating. His bleak mood at being blackmailed and bullied actually began to lift. 'I'll need to see the theory behind the drive.

'Of course. Her huge eyes blinked once. 'We'll brief you as soon as you've settled in.

'I'm settled right now.

Araminta waited in the flat until Shelly arrived to take full legal possession. She didn't have to do it, Cressida's firm was tackling the sale registration — which meant nothing had gone wrong. But supervising the handover in person added that little professional touch; and in business, reputation was a commodity which couldn't be bought.

She watched from the balcony as Shelly's capsule landed on the designated pad outside, followed by a larger cargo capsule which used the public pad. The flat seemed strangely unattractive now Araminta had moved the dressing furniture out, all carefully chosen pieces that emphasized how spacious and contemporary the property was.

'Is everything all right? Shelly asked as Araminta opened the door.

'Yes. I just wanted to check you were happy.

'Oh yes. I can't wait to get in. Shelly was already walking past her, smiling contentedly at the empty rooms. She was a tall, pretty girl who had her own salon business in the district. Araminta was slightly jealous about that, mainly because Shelly was a year younger than her and obviously successful. But then, she's never made the Laril mistake.

Shelly caught sight of the big bouquet of flowers resting on the kitchen worktop. 'Oh thank you, that's so sweet.

'My pleasure. Araminta's u-shadow transferred the flat's activation codes over to Shelly. 'Now if there are any problems, please call me. She had to flatten herself against the wall as she made her way downstairs. A regrav lifter was hauling a big scarlet and black sofa up to the flat. It wasn't quite what Araminta would have chosen, but… She shrugged and left the house.

Her old carry capsule flew her across Colwyn city to the Bodant district where it settled on a public parking pad. The morning was a dull one, with grubby-ginger clouds darkening towards rain as the wind blew in from the sea. Araminta climbed out and smiled up at the six-storey apartment block. It was a fairly standard layout, ribbed by white balconies that dripped with colourful vines and flowering creepers. The corners were black glass columns alive with purple and blue refraction stipples that swarmed up and down like rodent climbers. At night the effect was sharp and conspicuous, but under a dank daylight sky it lacked any kind of verve. There was a gold crystal dome on the roof, sheltering a communal pool and spa gym. A wide swathe of elegantly maintained gardens along the front were sitting on top of the private underground garage.

Cressida's sleek purple capsule slipped down out of the low clouds to land beside Araminta. 'Well darling, what a coup. The lawyer was wrapped in a furry black and white coat that snuggled cosily round her with every move. She glanced up at the front of the building, eyes narrowing as she saw three balconies piled high with junked fittings. 'I have the access codes and the owner certificates. So let's go up, shall we?

Araminta had bought the entire fourth floor, with all five apartments. The whole apartment block was undergoing redevelopment, presenting an opportunity she couldn't resist when Ikor, one of the original developers, had pulled out. Cressida walked in to the first apartment and rolled her eyes. 'I can't believe you've done this.

'Why not? It's a perfect opportunity for me. Araminta grinned at her cousin's dismay and walked over to the balcony doors. The glass curtained wide for her and she stepped out. There was a faint sound of buzzing and drilling as the other developers prepared their floors for occupancy. 'It's ninety years old, it needs a makeover. And look at the view.

Cressida pushed her sapphire-glossed lips together as she looked out across the Bodant district's park to the Cairns beyond. There was a marina along the embankment directly opposite them, its curving deco buildings radiant white, as if they had just been forged in some fusion furnace. 'You got the wrong side of the park, darling. Over there is where the action and the smart money is. Beside, here you're only a few streets from the Helie district. Really!

'Stop being such a grump. I've proved I can do this, and you know it.

'I also know how much you paid for these hovels. Honestly darling, a hundred K each. Were you kidnapped and held ransom?

'They have three bedrooms each. They need a lot less work than the flat. The two largest have this view. And I cleared a forty K profit on the flat.

'I still can't believe the bank gave you the money for this.

'Standard commercial loan. They liked my business model, Araminta said proudly.

'And Ozzie's coming back to save us all. Go on, you can tell me. You slept with the entire staff of the local office, didn't you?

'It's very simple economics.

'Ha! That just proves you don't know what you're talking about. Economics is never simple.

'I renovate one of them — this one probably — as the show apartment, and sell the rest off. Plan based on people seeing the quality of the finish. The deposits will pay off the mortgage while I refurbish them.

'This is the best one? Oh help me.

'Yes, this one. And Helie is an up and coming area. Don't be so negative. It's annoying. Her tone was more prickly than she'd intended.