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Puerto Limon facility (eight from Security and twelve from crushing mills, but none reported initially from separation plant). 100% fatal within thirty-six to fifty-four hours. Infection-transmission mode unknown in initial investigation phase; airborne spores suspected.
    GHO notified, 3/5/32. Blood samples, pathology and post-mortem data forwarded by Security courier to GHO New York Centre for Communicable Disease Control, 4/5/32.
    Quarantine measures (Code Amber: Suspected communicable pathogen of extraterrestrial origin) initiated, 14:30, 4/5/32. Immediate emergency JMMC Security blockade of facility, company precinct of Callas and surrounding company-controlled common land. Medical centre and processing plant hermetically isolated. Contagion rate within facility complex 99+% by 8/5/32. Further outbreak reported in Callas 7/5/32.
    Under orders from GHO , upgraded quarantine measures (Code Red: Confirmed presence of pathogen of extraterrestrial origin – virulent/malignant) initiated 9/5/32. Containment procedure ‘Vesta’ ordered 10/5/32. Immediate execution. Outbreak officially controlled 11/5/32.
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    One day from the GHO containment order to ‘Outbreak officially controlled’. I closed my eyes and tried to fathom it. I couldn’t. Or rather, I don’t think I really wanted to.
    â€˜So what’s “Vesta”?’ Galen repeated the question as I finished reading.
    â€˜Beats me.’ I was standing behind his chair, reading the screen over his shoulder. Moving across to my own console, I touched the ROM icon on the screen and leaned towards the v-a pick-up.
    â€˜Vesta. VESTA.’
    I didn’t normally spell things out, but the voice-recog was playing up, and I didn’t want it to bring up ‘fester’ or ‘festa’ or whatever else it might think it heard. I added ‘Cross-ref on “Old Earth”, and “containment procedures”, slash “disease”, slash “epidemics”.’
    There were a couple of references, but neither of them were of any use. I summarised the results for him.
    â€˜It’s a town in Costa Rica, about 40 clicks from the processing plant, and it’s the name of an Ancient Greek goddess they probably named it after. Maybe they used the town as a control centre for the blockade and the containment. I mean, they wouldn’t want to draw too much attention by organising things in Puerto Limon itself. Not if they were trying to keep it under wraps.’ I shrugged my shoulders, and moved back to stand beside the wheelchair. ‘Otherwise, I wouldn’t have a clue. It must have been an internal Security codename. There’s no ref on file of any official containment procedure by that name.’
    â€˜No,’ he replied. ‘Well, there wouldn’t be, would there? Pretty bloody effective, whatever it is.’ He spoke the words more to himself than me as he reached for his ‘fix’.
    I took another sip too.
    But suddenly I had the feeling that a cup of Ocra tea wasn’t going to be enough to settle the butterflies that were beginning to flex their wings in my stomach.
    Forty years ago . . .
    That was what the date on the report said.
    2332 ad on Earth. 153 as here on Deucalion.
    Which was exactly the year when the next three approaching C-ships took off on their long, sub-light journey to the new world. Our world.
    And the first one was due within the month . . .

3
    Destiny
    Al-Tiina Village
    Wieta Clan Lands, Vaana
    24/14/202 Standard
    LOEF
    Kaeba has climbed too high. As usual.
    He feels her sudden fear like a jolt in the chest, as the realisation of danger grows in the young one’s heart.
    â€“ Breathe slowly. Swallow your fear. Fear is your enemy, Kaeba.
    He makes his way across the open space behind the communal meeting place, sending to her, soothing her anxiety, as he closes the distance between them.
    â€“ Find a strong branch and hold tightly. I am almost with you .