After the Eshus incident, pilot Allie and technician Tally were quietly promoted and reassigned deep within Dangan space to oversee the Empire's dreadnought project — unmanned warships controlled by the supercomputer ALL-CONSTRUCT. Months later, while out on the edge of the system, they receive a cryptic three-word message from the dreadnought base: ALL-CONSTRUCT. SENTIENT. HOUDAN-INFLUENCE. Then silence. They turn back immediately.