"I spent three years in a place that toyed with us just so, but with far less regularity. This shall be the easier," he assured her, and in truth it would be.

A constant presence would be easier to fight off that disparate assaults. Eventually he was sure he could build shields against it, or at least dampen its influence some. It was not as if the device needed to try hard to convince him to protect the ship, protect the people. As a Herald, that was already engrained within him, a core value that all Heralds shared.

"Eventually one does learn to ignore the chirping of crickets in the evening."