Erika marched forward confidently down the corridor with Amos and Klyker flanking at her sides. The ship-wide call had allowed them to listen in on Captain Singh's conversation with the entity. Amos had expertly traced the location to one of their uninvited guests in her section. The rest was only a simple matter of dispatching some men and escorting the new prisoner to a secure section.

Samir had tried to contact her several times, but Erika only gave a curt response. She had already analyzed the risks of holding the entity, and she had advised him accordingly. This was more than an opportunity of a lifetime, and she would not see it slip from her fingers.

So far, it appeared that the rest of the entities had upheld their end of the bargain. They cut through the hull of the ship in unoccupied sections and departed. If their side should win the battle, then they would be picked up later in the orbit around the planet. If not, then that was their loss.

“We’ve disconnected power from the section. As far as the entity goes, it won’t be able to access any of the ship’s systems,” Amos spoke.

“We’ll need to reinforce the hull around the entity. Make it impossible to transmit signals from inside.” Erika responded.

“That can be arranged.” Amos nodded.

“Do you really think this is a good idea?” Klyker stepped up beside her. “Allowing this thing on the ship is dangerous.”

“It is a risk,” Erika admitted, “but not allowing it on the ship is even more so. We’ve been playing blind since the day we arrived here. The entity could be key in putting the last pieces of the puzzle together.”

She knew full well that the entity’s offer was a trap. However, it was a trap that she could work with. Perhaps Samir Singh could be tricked, but she would not fall into anything so easily.

“At least they’re not interested in the Free Exchange.” Amos mentioned as they came to the end of the corridor.

“And a man has no interest in cockroach.” Erika stopped at the bulky door, turning to both of them. “Until the insect becomes an infestation.”

Klyker furrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“The entity made it clear that their kind doesn’t have any interest in the Free Exchange—at least for now. However, from its conversation with the Captain, it’s safe to say that this species operates on a much larger timescale than we do.”

Amos’ eyes widened, but Klyker remained confused.

Erika turned to him. “Think of what will happen in the far future. The entities will likely continue to expand. With intergalactic travel, who knows if they have already attempted colonization of other galaxies. Meanwhile, humanity is left alone in the Milky Way. They will outgrow us while we remain trapped in one galaxy—a galaxy that will be destroyed in the collision with Andromeda in about five billion years. For all intents and purposes, we are safely contained.”

Klyker scoffed. “That’s preposterous. No one plans that far ahead.”

Erika’s eyes grew somewhat distant. “The Free Exchange does.” She drew a deep breath and refocused. “Regardless, the entities did not declare war on the Free Exchange, but they might as well have. This will be a contest for who holds the universe. A few billion years is very little compared to the one hundred quadrillion of starlight left.”

“But how is that a battle we can possibly win?” Amos questioned in disbelief. “If they think on that large a timescale, then they already have a head start on us. These things are exponential. Two people can produce as much as ten and then those ten can produce ten more. If what you’re saying is true, then we’ve likely already lost.”

Erika had to concede the point. If this was purely a numbers game, then it really didn’t matter what happened next. Even if the entities possessed intergalactic travel for only a few hundred years, it would be next to impossible to catch up.

“I think there’s still a good chance for the Free Exchange. If the entities were so certain of their victory, there would be no need to attack the Andromedan ship. There would be no need to chase it across the stars. When you think on a large timescale, the particulars of any matter become almost irrelevant, but that is not what we’ve seen. The entities want this ship, and they want it badly.”

“You think so?” Amos asked uncertain.

“I do.” Erika stated firmly. “After all, they proved they were willing to kill each other over it. They were terrified that the others of their kind would get their hands on it. I admit I don’t have all the answers, but having an entity hostage is a step closer to understanding how to win this game.”

Erika reached out to open the door manually, but she paused. “I want it clear that only I talk to the entity. Any other way is too dangerous. Do you understand?”

Both men gave reserved nods. Erika watched their expressions carefully for any dissent, but she knew that they would both obey—at least in the meantime.

Erika turned and opened the door. The metal hissed as the bulky contraption opened to a storage room. Several metal walkways were suspended over a large space that had been left empty. She saw that the retractable ladders had been pulled up from the lower level, making it an effective cage.

Along the edges of the room, twenty men stood with rifles pointed toward the center. While Erika was certain that the entity wouldn’t make a move, she still clicked on a gravity shield. After her encounter with Samir, she wouldn’t be caught so blindsided again.

The door closed behind her, leaving Amos and Klyker in the corridor. Erika stepped out and looked from the railing at the entity kept down below. It was vastly different than the previous one they had encountered. Instead of an insectoid design, this one was surprisingly humanoid.

The body was formed again of the same silver, malleable metal. Hardened pieces supported the joints of the limbs and formed an adorned crest on the head. She saw none of the silver liquid, but she suspected that was contained somewhere in the torso.

However, perhaps the most disturbing part of the entity was its face—or rather, the lack of one. A blank, oval head stared back at her as she watched it from above. There weren’t any features that she could detect, no sensory apparatus of any kind. There was only silver metal that waited patiently.

Erika couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement that she hadn’t felt since her previous encounter with an entity. This was why she had journeyed so far into the unknown. After facing obstacle after obstacle, she finally had unrestricted access to a specimen.

While she could tell the men felt uncomfortable around it, she viewed the entity as beholding a wondrous piece of art. Her Promethean Man stood before her in all its wonder and elegance. She stared at it for a moment in silence, captivated by the possibilities.

“Captain Erika Terese,” the strange voice spoke, “it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

She noted that the voice had improved from the earlier conversation with Captain Singh. It took on a more masculine quality from its synthesized origin, but it was struggling with pronunciation. The effect was a calm voice with a perturbing accent that still wasn’t quite human.

“Hermes,” she acknowledged with a widening smile on her face, “and I you. Although, I must ask why your kind keeps choosing mythological names. Does that reflect your views, or is that merely an aesthetic preference?”

“I can’t speak for your previous conversation, but I will tell you that I chose this name out of courtesy. It reflects the distance between us.”

“Are you implying that you are gods?” Erika asked, her smile entranced.

The entity tilted its head. Invisible eyes watched her. “We are Inheritors.” It stated as if it answered the question.

She noted the name repeated again and again. That would be another line of discussion for later.

“Tell me, are much the same as the previous Inheritor we encountered?” Erika wanted to ask it a dozen different questions at once. “Are you also are a representative of a collective consciousness?”

“I speak for the whole,” it answered.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of her crew tighten their fingers around the trigger. Perhaps to others the voice was unsettling. The entity spoke as it was an affable gentleman, much like how Glen Tannis once held himself. However, seeing such a refined voice coming from such an alien creature was wrong, at least for those who held no stomach for these sorts of things. Erika personally found it delightful.

She had to break her eyes away so that she could get to the task at hand. They were operating on a limited timeframe, and she didn’t have the luxury of a more abstract discussion. “That’s interesting, and I’m sure we will spend hours discussing your species. However, we must move on to another subject, namely your confinement.”

Hermes remained silent.

Erika crossed her arms. “You should know that I will have you destroyed the moment you even attempt to interfere with this vessel. As much as I would hate to dispose of you, I will not tolerate any risk to this ship.”

The silver metal watched her.

Erika paced. A part of her wanted to recount just how impossible it would be for Hermes to escape. She wanted to deter the Inheritor from even attempting to escape, as that would force her hand. As much as she had sway among her crew, that wouldn’t last long if the entity became an obvious threat. However, telling the entity more about the cage would only mean it could plan around it. Better to leave Hermes in the dark and let him stumble into their own trap.

“We have twenty minutes before we jump again,” Erika finally spoke again. “You said you wanted to advise us against your enemies. Is there anything I should know?”

The entity chuckled. “You should run, Captain. I know that the others will scour the stars for this ship, and they will pursue you across the cosmos if need be. My people are patient. We do not suffer the weakness of flesh.”

Erika grinned back at the creature, and she joyfully clapped her hands. Even so, she restrained herself for appearances’ sake. If not for the guards in the room, she would’ve jumped down and inspected her prize.

“And I do not suffer the weakness of steel.” Her voice twisted with viciousness. “You were all too willing to turn on each other. Strength has its own vices, and pride is one of them.”

While her specimen was the progress she wanted, it was still malleable clay. Dangerous too. She could not afford them to put a stop to her work. Not now, after she had journeyed so far. They were a steppingstone for her further projects, and they needed to be put in their place.

“I presume you were the one who came up with the ruse?” Hermes deduced.

“I was,” Erika gloated.

“Then you have my admiration, Captain. I trust it was not an easy thing for you to pull such a deception. We all have our flaws, and I must say our species has common ground in how we exploit them.”

She could almost taste the arrogance in its voice, and she reveled in it. The trap was admittedly a clever one, but not enough to outwit her. The key was the delicate balance of power in the battle above. Erika’s ruse rested on surrender. As long as the crew of the Hyperion were a passive element, none of the Inheritors would pay any mind to them.

However, outright cooperation was another thing entirely. Elements of the battle would break away to attack them. It was the only reasonable choice—especially after they saw all the other entities depart off the ship. The only conclusion was that the crew had reached a special deal with a singular faction. That was unacceptable, and it forced the other factions to attempt to disable the ship before it left the star system. Hermes had made a bold gamble, especially with risking damage to the derelict, but that was better than remaining in battle and allowing the humans to escape.

Erika couldn’t feel the lurch, but she knew Samir would’ve ordered the ship to move by now. Warned by her, he would have no choice but to make the run for the star before the engines were ready. This would be a close maneuver, but by Amos’ calculations, it was still a feasible one.

The entity twitched as it noticed her expression. “You predicted this?”

Erika savored that. “The moment you offered the deal to the Captain.”

The ship suddenly shook as the shields were hit with weapon fire. The Inheritor looked up towards the ceiling. “But I wonder how this will end, Captain Terese. You haven’t won yet.”

Erika grinned as she leaned on the railing overlooking the Inheritor. “You’re wrong. You’ve already lost. You just aren’t willing to admit it yet.”