CHAPTER 6

The Shotgun Message

• Focus Characters: April Gallar Halgarth, Alberto Rasanto, Melissa, Frank, Marianna, Anjelia, Laura, Renne, Tarlo
• Location(s): Hemeleum, Nzega, Port Launay, the Halgarth beach cottage
• Core Narrative: A message from the Guardians of Selfhood is loaded into the unisphere through a planetary cybersphere node in Hemeleum, targeting April Halgarth, a member of the Halgarth dynasty. The message is a propaganda blast questioning the motives behind the Commonwealth's decision to send a starship to the Dyson Pair. April, who has been targeted by the Guardians, receives the message and is shocked to learn about the Guardians' existence and their accusations against her family. Meanwhile, Renne and Tarlo, investigators from the Serious Crimes Directorate, arrive at the Halgarth beach cottage to interview April and her friends. They learn that April had been manipulated by the Guardians, who used a memory edit to erase her memories of the encounter. The investigators begin to investigate the Guardians' activities and gather evidence to track them down.
• Broader Implications: The Guardians' actions and the Commonwealth's decision to send a starship to the Dyson Pair raise questions about the motivations and intentions of the Commonwealth's leaders, and the potential consequences of their actions.