A sickening silent crunch revealed that the assailant had a clavicle and that it was now divided into two irregular pieces. The figure shrieked in pain and dropped unconscious to the deck plate.

N-XS wasted no time. She assumed it was Smit in there, and she wasn't waiting for him to come round. She had to secure the core. That meant getting it as far from the ship as possible.

"Sorry, Jericho. Your pod needs to be sacrificed for the greater good." Her words went unheard.

N-XS stowed the holoscreen in her uniform and dragged herself outside the cabin. The corridor ahead was long and offered no support for an android with weakened legs.