Excession

IV

[tight beam, M32, tra. @n4.28.864. 0001]

xEccentric Shoot Them Later

oGSV Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The

It was me.

oo

[tight beam, M32, tra. @n4.28.864.1971]

xGSV Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The

oEccentric Shoot Them Later

What was you?

oo

I was the go-between for the information transmitted from the AhForgetlt Tendency to SC. One of our people on Tier saw the Affront light cruiser Furious Purpose as it arrived back there; it had a location in Elench code burned onto its scar-hull. The information was transmitted from the Tendency mission on Tier to me; I passed it on to the Different Tan and the Steely Glint, my usual contacts in the Group/Gang. I would guess the signal was then relayed to the GSV Ethics Gradient, home ship of the GCU Fate Amenable To Change, which subsequently discovered the Excession.

So in a sense, this is all my fault. I apologise.

I had hoped this confession would never be necessary, but having turned this over in my mind I have concluded that — as was the case concerning the passing-on of the original information regarding the scar-hull signal in the first place — I had no choice. Had you guessed? Had you started to? Do you still trust me?

oo

It had occurred to me, but I had no access to Tendency transmission records and was unwilling to ask the other Gang members directly. I trust you no less for what you say. Why are you telling me now?

oo

I would like to retain that trust. Have you discovered anything else?

oo

Yes. I think there is a link to a man called Genar-Hofoen, a Contact representative with the Affront on a habitat called God'shole, in the Fernblade. He left there the day after the Excession was discovered; SC has hired three Affronter battle cruisers to take him to Tier. They are due there in fourteen days. His biography: (files attached). You see the connection? That ship again.

oo

You think it involved beyond what we believe we have agreed to already?

oo

Yes. And the Grey Area.

oo

The times look a little unlikely; if it really pushed itself the GA can reach Tier in, what?… three days or so after this human gets there? But that still leaves our other concern two months or more out of touch.

oo

I know. Still, I think there is something going on. I am following up all the avenues of investigation I can. I'm making further inquiries through the more likely contacts mentioned in his file, but it's all going terribly slowly. Thank you for your candour. I shall remain in touch.

oo

You're welcome. Do keep me informed.

[stuttered tight point, M32, tra. @n4.28. 865.2203]

xEccentric Shoot Them Later

oLSV Serious Callers Only

Got fed up waiting; I called it (signal file attached).

oo

[stuttered tight point, M32, tra. @n4.28. 865.2690]

xLSV Serious Callers Only

oEccentric Shoot Them Later

And now it 'trusts you no less'. ha!

oo

I remain convinced it was the right thing to do.

oo

Whatever; it is done. What of the ship you asked to head for Pittance?

oo

On its way.

oo

And why Pittance?

oo

Is it not obvious? Perhaps not. Mayhap the paranoia of The Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival is contagious… However that may be, let me make my argument: Pittance houses a veritable cornucopia of weaponry; indeed, the weapons deployed there just to protect the main cache of munitions — that is, the ships — alone represents a vast stockpile of potential destruction. Certainly the store's course takes it nowhere near the Excession, but it has taken it into the general volume within which the Affront have some interest. Now, while it has almost certainly gone unnoticed and even if it is spotted and tracked it can be of no interest'to the Affront (and, of course, it is anyway well able to defend itself), and it is not part of the subtle mobilisation being organised by the Steely Glint, it nevertheless represents the greatest concentration of materiel in the vicinity.

I start to wonder; when, roughly, did the Culture start to have doubts — serious doubts — about the Affront? And when was Pittance chosen as one of the ship stores? Around the same time. Indeed, Pittance was chosen, fitted out and stocked entirely within the time-scale of the debate which took place at the end of the Idiran War regarding military intervention against the Affront. There are billions of bodies like Pittance; the galaxy is littered with such pieces of wreckage wandering between the stars. Yet Pittance was chosen as one of only eleven such stores; a rock whose slow progress would take it into Affronter space within five or six centuries — depending on how fast the Affront expanded their sphere of influence — and which might well remain within that sphere for the foreseeable future, given that Affronter influence could easily push its borders out at a greater rate than that of a slowly tumbling rock moving at much less than a per cent of light speed. How fortuitous to have such a wealth of weaponry embedded in Affront space!

Might not this all, in fact, be a set-up?

Think about this; is this not just the sort of thing you would be proud to have thought up? Such foresight, such patience, such attention to the long game, such plausible protestations of innocence should the coincidence be remarked upon or revealed! I know I'd be pleased with myself had I been part of such a plan.

Lastly, on the committee of Minds which oversaw the choice of these stores, the names Woetra, Different Tan and Not Invented Here all sound rather familiar, think ye not?

Taken all together, and even recognising that this is almost certainly a blind alley, I thought it irresponsible not to have a sharp eye attached to a sympathetic mind in the vicinity of that precious little rock.

oo

All right. Point taken.

oo

And what of whatever you were working on?

oo