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alien-pack-society
The packs represent a non-human social structure with complex interpersonal dynamics and cultural markers like wooden filigree and mind sounds.
1 chapter across 1 book
A Fire Upon the Deep (2002)Vernor Vinge
Chapter 51
Ravna arrives at a burned hillside and approaches a gathering of packs, seeking Peregrine and Pham. She learns of the aftermath of Lord Steel's destructive actions and the precarious situation with the approaching Blight fleet. Inside the starship, Ravna finds Pham in a fugue state, engaged with a mysterious, powerful Transcendent machine called the Countermeasure, which may be a crucial weapon against the Blight.