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old　and　slow。
She　waved　me　off　when　I　tried　to　help。
'Maybe？'　I　asked。
She　took　a　big　swig　of　her　drink　and　then　poked　a　lho…stick　between　her　crinkled　lips。
'I've　seen　your　mind；　heretic。　You're　not　as　clean　as　you　like　to　think　you　are。'
I　sat　down　on　the　chaise。　'Am　I　not？'

She　lit　the　lho…stick　and　exhaled　a　deep　lungful　of　its　narcotic　smoke　with　a　sigh。
'Ah；　don't　mind　me。　A　ruined　worn…out　psyker　who　talks　too　much。'
'I'm　interested。　What　do　you　see？'
Her　exo…skeleton　made　soft　whines　as　it　walked　her　over　to　the　other　couch　and　the　hydraulics　hissed　as　they　settled　her　into　the　seat。
She　took　another　deep　puff。
'I'm　sorry；'　she　said。　'Would　you　like　one？'
I　shook　my　head。
'I　have　served　the　Astropathicus　all　my　life；　such　as　it　is；　on　guild　tenure　and　as　a　freelance；　as　now。　When　your　woman　came　to　me
with　a　job　offer　and　real　money；　I　took　it。　But；　oh　me；　oh　my…'
'Astropaths　are　supposed　to　be　neutral；'　I　countered。
'Astropaths　are　supposed　to　serve　the　Emperor；　heretic；'　she　said。
'What　have　you　seen　in　my　mind？'　I　asked；　bluntiy。
'Too；　too　much；'　she　responded；　blowing　a　magnificent　smoke…ring。
'Tell　me。'
She　shook　her　head；　or　that's　what　I　supposed　the　hissing　action　of　her　head…cage　was　supposed　to　convey。
'I　suppose　I　should　be　grateful。　You　took　me　from　a　dead　life　to　this…　an　adventure。'
'I　don't　need　you　to　be　grateful；'　I　said。
'Dead　and　buried　on　Anemae　Gulfward　in　six…　or　dead　in　agony　in　your　service；'　she　repeated。
'It　won't　be　like　that。'
She　blew　another　smoke　ring。　'Oh；　it　will。　I've　seen　it。　Clear　as　day。'
'You　have？'
'Many　times。　I'm　going　to　die　because　of　you；　heretic。'
UNGISH　WAS　STUBBORN　and　defeatist。　I　knew　she　had　seen　things　she　wouldn't　talk　about。　Eventually；　I　stopped　asking。　We　met　every
few　days；　and　she　psy…chometrically　captured　images　from　my　mind。　The　Cadian　pylons。　Cherubael。　Prophaniti；　and　the　ornaments　he
wore。
By　the　time　we　reached　Cinchare；　I　had　a　sheaf　of　psychometric　pictures　and；　thanks　to　the　crippled　astropath；　a　grim　sense　of　the
future。
CINCHARE。　A　MINERAL　rock　orbiting　a　rogue　star。
Plagued　by　gravitic　storms；　the　Cinchare　system　wanders　sloppily　through　the　fringes　of　the　Halo　Stars　at　the　edge　of　Imperial　space。
Ten　thousand　years　ago　it　had　been　a　neighbour　of　3458　Dornal；　and　had　nine　planets　and　an　asteroid　belt。　When　we　finally　found　it；　it
was　lurching　through　the　Pymbyle　systems；　major　and　minor；　and　had　suffered　two　serious　cosmological　collisions。　Now　it　had　six
planets　and　radiating　sheets　of　asteroid　belts。　Cinchare's　rogue　star　was　locked　in　a　drunken　dance　with　Pymbyle　Minor；　a　flirtatious
encounter　of　gravities　that　would　take　another　million　years　to　resolve。
Cinchare　itself；　or　more　properly　Cinchare　rogue　system'planet　four　X181B；　was　a　blue　nugget　of　rock　swaggering　along　an　almost
figure…eight　far　orbit　around　the　clashing　stars；　following　the　vagaries　of　their　impacting　gravity　wells。
Rich　in　ultra…rare　metals　including　ancylitum　and　phorydnum；　it　had　been　a　miner's　plunder…haven　for　as　long　as　it　had　been　identified。
'No　watch　ships。　Precious　little　in　the　way　of　guidance　buoys；'　Maxilla　said　as　he　steered　the　Essene　in…system。　'I've　got　a　habitation
hot…spot。　The　mining　colony；　I'll　bet。'
'Park　us　in　orbit；'　I　told　him。　'Medea；　fire　up　the　cutter　for　landfall。　Aemos；　you're　with　me。'
'WHOO！'　WHISPERED　MEDEA；　tightening　the　grip　of　her　circuit…inlaid　hands　around　the　bio…sensors　of　the　cutter's　steering　yoke。
Another　hard　buffet　had　shaken　the　craft。
'The　gravity…tides　are　all　over　the　place。　I　keep　hitting　eddies　and　anti…trojan　points。'
'Small　wonder；'　Aemos　muttered；　easing　himself　into　a　deck…seat　and　connecting　the　restraint　harness　across　his　lap。　'The　rogue　star
and　its　planet…herd　have　made　a　disaster　area　of　this　system。'
'Hmmm…'　said　Medea；　showing　no　concern　as　she　rolled　the　cutter　up　and　over　on　its　back　to　avoid　a　jagged　black　asteroid　that
tumbled　across　our　path。　The　close　approach　to　Cinchare　was　a　debris　field；　full　of　rock　matter　and　collision　slag；　all　swirling　around
in　complex　and　exotic　orbits。　Parts　of　this　field　had　formed　into　thin　ring　systems　around　Cinchare；　but　even　the　rings　were　buckled
and　warped　by　gravity…clashes。　The　space　around　us　was　a　bright　misty　gold　where　starlight　was　catching　the　banks　of　dust　and　microlitter。
The　cutter's　shields　could　handle　most　of　the　larger　rocks　that　swirled　through　it；　but　some　were　giants　and　required　evasive
manoeuvres。
Through　the　gold　dust…light；　we　began　to　see　Cinchare　more　clearly：　an　irregular；　glittered　blue　object；　spinning　fast　along　a　stricken
axis。　It　was　half　in　shadow；　and　the　peaks　of　its　mineral　mountains　made　pre…dawn　flashes　as　they　caught　the　early　light　coming　up
over　the　daylight　terminator。
'The　closer　we　get　to　the　body；　the　worse　the　gravitic　disturbances　will　become；　of　course；'　Aemos　mused　aloud。　Medea　didn't　need　the
advice。　Even　I　knew　that　an　irregular　body　…　and　especially　an　irregular　body　composed　of　varying　densities　…　would　have　a　near…space
lousy　with　abnormal　gravity　effects。　I　think　Aemos　was　just　chatting　to　keep　his　mind　off　things。

Medea　banked　us　around　the　searing　trails　of　three　bolides；　and　into　what　felt　like　a　chute　of　high　gravity。　Cinchare's　surface；　a
revolving；　pitted　cold　expanse；　rushed　up　to　meet　us　and　filled　the　main　ports。　The　descent　and　proximity　alarms　started　to　sound；　and
Medea　killed　them　both　with　an　impatient　sideways　stab　of　her　hand。　We　levelled　out　a　little。
'The　mining　facility　beacons　just　woke　up；'　Medea　cleared　her　throat。　'I've　got　a　pre…lock　telemetry　handshake。　They're　requesting
ident。'
'Give　it。'
Medea　activated　the　cutter's　transponder　and　broadcast　our　craft's　identifying　pulse。　It　was　one　of　the　disguise　templates　we　stored　in
the　codifier　for　covert　work；　a　delicate　piece　of　fakery　designed　by　Medea　and　Maxilla。　According　to　its　signature；　we　were　a　research
team　from　the　Royal　Scholam　Geologicus　on　Mendalin。
'They've　cleared　us　to　touch；'　Medea　reported；　easing　us　past　another　buffet　of　gravity　turbulence。　'They've　activated　the　guide
pathway。'
'Any　vox　contact？'
She　shook　her　head。　'It　could　all　be　mechanical。'
'Take　us　in。'
CINCHARE　MINEHEAD　WAS　a　cluster　of　old　industrial　structures　plugging　the　cone　of　an　upthrust　impact　event。　Flight　approach　was
down　a　rille　in　the　crater　edge。　The　buildings　seemed　at　first　sight　to　be　rude　and　unfinished；　rough…hewn　from　the　blue　rock；　but　I
quickly　realised　they　were　standard　Imperial　modular　structures　caked　with　accretions　of　blue　dust　and　gypnate。　As　far　as　records
showed；　Cinchare　Minehead　had　been　here　for　nine　hundred　years。
We　set　down　on　a　cleared　hardpan　surrounded　by　serially　winking　marker　lamps。　The　braking　jets　kicked　up　a　swirling　halo　of
eluviam　into　the　air…less　sky。　After　a　short　wait；　two　monotask　servitors；　heavy…grade　units　on　caterpillar　tracks；　emerged　into　the　hard
starlight　from　the　shadows　of　a　docking　barn；　attached　clamps　to　our　front　end　and　silently　towed　us　back　into　the　barn。
It　was　a　grim　place　of　dirty　bare　metal　and　lifting　gear。　Two　battered　prospector　pods　sat　in　berthing　bays；　and　in　the　gloom　at　the　far
end　was　a　cargo　shuttle　that　had　seen　better　days。
The　barn　doors　closed　behind　us；　and　flashing　hazard　lamps　in　the　berthing　dock　moved　from　amber　to　green　as　the　atmosphere　was
cycled　back　in。　Apart　from　the　servitors；　there　was　no　sign　of　life。
'Cutter's　systems　show　green　on　outside　conditions；'　said　Medea；　swinging　out　of　her　seat。
'Are　we　ready？'　I　asked。
'Sure；'　said　Medea。　She　had　switched　her　regular　Glavian　pilot's　gear；　with　its　distinctive　cerise　jacket；　for　a　much　more　anonymous　set
of　grubby　flight　overalls。　Heavy；　tan　and　baggy；　they　were　actually　the　quilted　liner　of　an　armoured　void…suit。　The　surface　was　covered
in　eyelets；　laces　and　stud…connectors　where　the　armour　segments　would　lock　on　and　there　were　umbilical　sockets　in　the　chest。　Medea
had　removed　the　helmet　ring　and　allowed　the　heavy　collar　to　hang　open。　She　wore　workgloves　and　steel…capped　military　boots；　and
tucked　her　hair　up　under　a　billed　cap　with　the　Imperial　eagle　on　the　front。
Aemos　had　adjusted　the　hydraulic　settings　of　his　augmetic　exo…skeleton