President DeWinter glanced at someone off camera, her eyes flickering as if reading text. Souza’s eyes glazed over briefly when he got a message via implant. Lord Hale just loomed into the conference room with an icy, unblinking stare. DeWinter eventually replied. “We have a lot of different opinions on recent events. The Cradle and it’s origins have been subject to robust political debate ever since we found it, three and a half centuries ago. Some of us are naturally suspicious of it, and assumed it would land us in trouble one day. And some of us are willing to lay down their lives to protect Outremer’s greatest asset.”

An aide came over to whisper in DeWinter’s ear again, but she shooed him away. “If the creature is to be believed, we could be in danger of joining a war we didn’t start, with an enemy that may be more advanced than both our civilisations. I believe the decision we need to make is whether we value our connection to this creature enough to risk peace and stability in the galaxy.”