"Captain, I was wondering if I may speak with you."

The hour was late, by the ship's clock, when the message came in.

Brooks always had a public line available for people who wished to speak with him. It was rare for anyone to use it; most issues that involved civilians were matters for Administration, and people knew that; even the AI that directed calls to this line would helpfully inform them of the fact, and Zeela Cann had a team who fielded and sorted and often solved such calls.

Normally he was somewhat pleased to get a message, even at this late hour, but when he saw the sender, he paused.

Father Cathal Sair had just joined the ship, and Brooks had not had a chance to meet the man formally.

Urle had approved him, and Brooks trusted his judgment here - plus he had a level of curiosity about the man and his potential connections.

He hadn't expected the man to reach out on his own, however, not to him directly.

He answered the message.

"What is it that I can do for you, Father Sair?"

He looked up the man's location, and was surprised to find that he was out in the public waiting room nearby.

"I would like to speak to you in person, if possible, Captain."

"Very well," Brooks replied. "Enter."

His system sent the man a limited pass to allow him through, and in a few moments the door to his study opened, the Father standing there.

He was young; Brooks knew that, of course, his age was listed as only twenty-six in Earth reckoning, but he looked even younger than that.

Nevertheless, he had a calmness of spirit behind his bright green eyes, and Brooks found his curiosity piqued still further.

"Come in and sit," he said.

"Thank you for seeing me at such a late hour," Sair began.

"I was still awake," Brooks told him. "What is it you wished to speak with me about?"

Sair sat down, his expression still calm. "Rumors have spread since we have come out on this pirate hunt, Captain. The nature of the hunt, that a vessel as famous as the Craton has been called into action, have naturally led to this."

"Rumors spread easily, but are just as easily false," Brooks replied.

"But not always. I suspect that one of these rumors may be true," Sair said.

"And what rumor is that?"

Sair's answer was straightforward. "That these pirates possess relic technology."

Brooks kept his surprise off his face, not wanting to betray anything. "And you truly believe that this rumor is true?"

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"Yes, Captain. I am . . . somewhat unique, you might say. Like Apollonia Nor, I am what you would call a Cerebral Reader."

"That is news to me," Brooks said. "Why did you not tell us this when you requested to join the ship?"

"I was not asked," Sair replied.

It was true; that was not a typical question, they were just too rare. Still, though, Brooks thought that the man should have volunteered it in one of the many places the application left open-ended questions about personal details.

He let it go for now, however. "And your abilities make you believe the stories?"

"Yes. I am aware, for example, that the ship is resonating. I can hear it, captain - it's a kind of ringing or humming, depending on my location in the ship."

Now that was interesting. "That vindicates the rumors?"

"In a sense. I cannot say I have ever encountered relic technology before, but I am aware of its nature - or rather, the nature stories lend to it. However, we all feel confident that it is tenkionic, yes? And in the presence of tenkionic matter, at least strongly tenkionic matter, I have found a similar effect."

"What sort of tenkionic matter have you encountered?" Brooks asked.

"This ship, though I believe because it is spread out so much that it does not typically ring. But in my order we have several minor relics that behave similarly. It is a strange phenomenon, but it leads me to a single conclusion; that something was near the ship that was very powerful. It left, with the pirates, but its effect remains."

"That is all very interesting, but there are a lot of assumptions in there," Brooks said. "You have not been on the Craton long - with respects, how do you know that this is not just typical behavior for being on a vessel that is, itself, mildly tenkionic?"

"I suppose I cannot prove that," Sair said. "But I know someone who can. Could Apollonia Nor join us?"

Brooks leaned back. "It's rather late to be calling her. I imagine she's asleep, Father Sair."

"She is not," the man replied. "She came with me and is waiting outside."

This time the surprise did show on Brooks's face. He checked his system and saw that what the man said was true.

He messaged her. "Will you join us?"

She sent back an automatic affirmative and he opened the door as she approached.

"Hi," she said quickly, entering and sitting down easily in the second chair across from his desk. "So Cathal and I were talking-" she began.

"I did not know you were on a first-name basis," Brooks said, intending it lightly, but surprised as his words sounded slightly harsh to his own ears.

"Well, we met on Gohhi," Apollonia said, waving it away without a care. "I've been hearing this strange ringing, it was driving me nuts. But then when we spoke he told me he was hearing it, too, so we went to pray and then-"

"You went to pray?" Brooks asked.

"He said the focus would help," she replied. "I think it did. I mean, I never really believed in the Tedian stuff, so like whatever. But anyway-"

"I'm sorry," Brooks said. "But you were in pain - did you talk to Dr. Y about it?"

"I didn't want to bother him again with just a headache," Apollonia replied.

Brooks frowned, but did not press it further. "My apologies. Please continue what you were saying."

"So he thinks the pirates have some relic tech, and I told him-"

She cut herself off this time, eyes widening. Brooks said nothing.

"I, uh . . . didn't really tell him much," she said. "Just . . . things I thought. Not related to things I was told."

Brooks kept his eyes on her, not blinking.

"To be honest, Captain," Father Sair said, leaning forward. "She only spoke of the common rumors, neither confirming nor denying anything. I give you my word."

Brooks still had his eyes on Apollonia, and she seemed to be shrivelling back into her seat.

"Apollonia," Brooks began. "Do you hear this 'hum' or sound as well?"

"Yes," she said, still looking alarmed.

"Have you ever heard it on the ship before?"

"No," she said, her voice meek.

He finally looked to Father Sair. "You said the sound changes based on where you are on the ship, yes?"

"Yes," Sair said.

He glanced to Apollonia. She nodded. "That's one of the things we talked about!" she added quickly. "We both noticed it in the same areas."

Brooks projected a three-dimensional map of the ship, sharing it to them. Apollonia held up her tablet to see it, squinting and leaning closer.

"What areas are strongest?" Brooks asked.

They both pointed to the same side. It coincided with the locations of strongest resonance that Cenz and Urle had found - though he had not shared that data in the hologram.

"Has it changed?" he asked.

"Yes," Sair said immediately. "At first I felt it strongest here." He pointed to a different area. "Though it was weaker, it was definitely present."

Apollonia looked uncertain. "I had started to hear it then, and it was stronger or weaker, but I'm not sure where it was strongest - I wasn't paying that much attention to the location. Oh, wait, but I do recall it becoming nearly unbearable when I got to corridor 7, level 42. I remember because I . . . well, I kicked a pot and dented it. I kind of felt bad about it afterward."

Cenz had limited data from the first colony, but there was some. The automated ship sensors had taken some note of the strange resonance, and while it was not as precise or certain - it did seem to match both of their words.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention," he said calmly. His eyes went to Apollonia. "I trust that you both understand the severity of leaking sensitive information, and will behave accordingly."

"Of course, Captain," Father Sair said, offering a slight bow from his chair.

"Yessir," Apollonia said, her voice nearly a squeak.

"Dismissed," Brooks said, letting his stern gaze linger on Nor.

She fled, Sair leaving at calmer, though still slightly hurried speed after her.

He'd have to keep an eye on their contact.

But there were other things to do right now.

"Cenz," he said, calling the coral.

His science officer was asleep; or something close to that for his kind. Brooks waited patiently for the majority of his polyps to awaken.

"Captain, I am here," Cenz said, his voice managing to convey weariness.

"My apologies for waking you at this hour," Brooks said. "But I think I have an idea. We need to triangulate a position."

There was a pause, then he heard Cenz's voice become tinged with excitement.

"Oh! Yes, Captain . . . I understand. But we'll need one more point of reference, won't we?"

"Yes," Brooks replied. "We're going to make a jump as soon as we can, and then we'll know where the pirates are hiding."