“Thank you kindly. I do hope we’ll get the chance to set up an actual base camp at some point. With a bit of peace and quiet, I'm positive we can align the code base and bring people in and out safely. Are you still running those calculations, any luck?” Dr Wetherall spoke quickly at Nirann, keeping his eyes trained squarely on the beast carrying Rareth in front of him. “Afraid of heights, Doctor?” Saddam asked, studying the scientist from off to one side. “Huh, is it that obvious? The things we do for knowledge, eh...”

The team flew on in formation, listening to the rhythmic flap of the creatures’ wings and the wind whistling past their sensory net. After a while, they crested a mountain range at the other end of the forested plains, clearing a set of jagged peaks by just a few metres. Dark scrublands stretched in all directions, with small shapes moving at speed below. “Nice, some prey animals for a change.” Dr Ngata commented, looking straight downward at a herd of stampeding horned bovidae.

595 barely noticed; she was mesmerised by the beacon. That bright light in front of them was growing bigger now, though it appeared to be dimming at the same time. They could only be half a dozen miles away now. “Is it some kind of building?” Thebes muttered, zooming in as far as his optics would allow. “Looks like it.” The Agent replied woozily.

Before long, the creatures carrying them began emitting high pitched squeaks and flapping faster, banking slightly from side to side while speaking to each other. “Woah, what’s happening?” Carthage asked, struggling in her beast’s talons at the back as it suddenly lost altitude. “This isn’t good. Can anyone see anything above us?” Ngata called, craning his neck to peek out from under the wing of his carrier.