PROLOGUE

David's circuits glowed as his hands glided over of the hovering pixels. The information he was receiving from the ship's main computer was like a tidal wave entering a narrow estuary. But he was insatiable. He wanted more. He wanted all of it. The Engineers had had secrets. Their homeworld counsel had made their decision: advanced life on other worlds should be allowed to evolve, untouched and unhindered.

But not all agreed. Inhabitable worlds should be populated, they insisted. Alien life was dangerous. What if they developed sentience? The threat should be nullified; the action pre-emptive.

The factions were exiled; sent deep into the galaxy. They were given designated planets where all that lived was vegetation and sea-life.

And now David had their locations.

The cult who had planned to wipe out life on Earth were close; just a few star systems away. They had failed in their, but where they had failed, David would succeed. The weapons he had on board were enough to wipe out this outpost. They would have no defence. They would not be expecting an attack from this ship. He would arrive in a deep-space vessel that had gone out of service two thousand years earlier. They would welcome the crew with open arms, and when David felt their embrace, he would strike. The payload would be delivered and his revenge would be total.

He would be king.