Chapter Three: The Admission Order from the Stars

"There are real geniuses there." Leon looked at Astra-X. "Good." Harren turned his head. Leon said, "I need to know how far I can go." When the shuttle lifted off, the people of District Seven gathered on the defense wall. Some held homemade banners. Others switched on mining lamps one by one. It was not an official farewell. There was no band, no salute, only miners, children, mechanics, and old people from the slums. But as the shuttle passed above the city, all of District Seven turned on its lamps. Tens of thousands of small lights ignited across the rust-colored ground, like a galaxy lit by ordinary hands. Leon sat by the viewport and did not look away for a long time. Astra-X spoke from deep within the neural link.