Neymdia Deep — William Tedford

Chayn and Villimy encounter mysterious starships that move instantaneously, jumping evasively from point to point, piloted by machines that look for all the world to be black human skeletons. Chayn's starcraft, piloted by an unseen benefactor, delivers him and Villimy to the vicinity of a convoy of thousands of sublight human transports facing destruction at the hands of the hyperlight technology. Ahead lie giant blue suns turned nova by beams of energy directed from the mysterious nebula, the Nemydia Deep. Ironically, beyond seemingly insurmountable hazards, lie paradise worlds by the millions, terraformed by human forces in preparation for the arrival of humanity. Humanity has arrived, but tragically failing to recognize one another as such.