(Void 03) The Evolutionary Void by Peter F. Hamilton

Author:Peter F. Hamilton
Language: es
Format: mobi
Published: 2010-09-08T22:00:00+00:00

SIX

THE DELIVERY MAN spent the flight accessing what information thesmartcore had on the Anomine. There wasn’t much. They were an advanced race whohad traveled along the standard evolutionary development route for biologicalspecies, zipping from agricultural age to industrial age right up to a benigncivilization with FTL starflight and a kind of cellular-based replicatortechnology that meshed with their own forms. That development allowed for a lotof diversification before their various blocs and genealogies eventually reunitedand they elevated themselves to postphysical status. From the small snippets oftrue history the navy expeditions had uncovered, it seemed that the triggerfactor for reunification was the threat posed by the Prime.

Sitting in the antique styling of the Last Throw’scabin with an uncommunicative Gore, the Delivery Man couldn’t help but wonderif the Anomine had found the Prime a little too much like looking into a mirrorfor comfort. Bodies that had merged into machinery? Albeit the Prime capabilitywas set at a more primitive level. There but for the grace of God go I, gracein this case being the Prime’s biogenetically embedded xenophobia. The Anominewere only too well aware of what would happen if the paranoid, aggressive, andheavily armed Prime ever escaped their home star system, as they were alreadyattempting in slower-than-light starships. Their concerns were vindicated bytheir observation of the first Prime ships to reach the existing civilizationof the closest star system, Dyson Beta. The peaceful aliens of that world neverstood a chance.

Within ten years of the genocidal invasion, the Anomine had thrown upforce field barriers around the stars humans came to know as the Dyson Pair.Where the Dark Fortress generators had come from-indigenous construction orborrowed from the Raiel-was a point still much argued over by a smallspecialist section of human academia. But it was that effort which had broughtthe diverse Anomine back together. Barely a hundred fifty years after thebarriers went up, the majority of the Anomine went postphysical.

“There’s nothing about the elevation mechanism,” the Delivery Man said asthe Last Throw streaked toward the Anomine star atfifty-five light-years an hour. They were fifteen minutes out, and the starship’ssensors were starting to obtain high-resolution scans of the system with allits planets.

“Classified,” Gore replied smartly. “Some aspects of government neverchange no matter how benevolent and transparent they strive to be. Secrecy islike oxygen to politicians and defense forces; there’s always got to be some ofit to keep them going.”

“But you’ve got the files, right?”

“I’ve accessed the summaries.”

The Delivery Man gave Gore a suspicious look. “I thought you had this allplanned out.”

“I do, sonny, so stop with the panicking.”

“Have you got those summaries?”

“Not actually with us here today, no, but I remember most of the criticalstuff.”

“But ... You do know how to get it working again, don’t you? You saidthat.”

“I said that we think it’s intact.”

“No!” The Delivery Man sat forward abruptly, almost ready to fly out ofthe chair and go nose to nose with Gore. “No, no, you said, and I quote, theywent postphysical and left their elevation mechanism behind.”

“Well, obviously they didn’t take the fucker with them.” Gore gave achirpy grin.

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