Prologue

The message impeded upon the gray man’s notice unbidden. With the faintest suggestion of an interface, it rose up before him through his O-A. In an earlier age, it might have appeared as:

To: ComOutOps

From: ComOutSig

113303z_11_10_AU76

RE: Unity Sensor Station 43.11.0/97_89.13.56/41 (SUNPRAIRIE)

Signal ceased SUNPRAIRIE 112103z_11_10_AU76

The gray man smiled; he signed the memorandum with his characteristic mental gesture and began preparations for the destruction of Malila Chiu.