Miles helped a staggering Alba into the ball-bearing shaped escape pod. They pushed past its inward-opening door, and sat down on one of the plush velour benches inside. Lou barged in breathlessly, and strained against the enormous wedge-shaped door to get it shut. “Miles!” she scolded, “don’t just sit there, come and help!”

Miles dutifully got to his feet, just in time to see the automaton appear from the shadows, sitting on the back of the door. He managed to get out “Eeouh…” before the arachnid launched itself at his face, leading with its neurophage-implantation limb.

Feeling like he was falling backward in slow motion (and in reality not moving much quicker than that), Miles was dumbfounded by a flaming sword, appearing over his shoulder and skewering the automaton’s body. Miles looked up at Alba proudly holding the flaming sword, with a tiny red cube impaled on it, while the arachnid crumpled into a heap.

“Let’s get out of here” she proclaimed as Lou dogged the hatch shut and launched the pod.