Chapter One: Free Mint

“Numbered relic confirmed,” a stranger announced through a loudspeaker. “Surrender its holder. Everyone else may leave.” Lin recognized neither the voice nor the promise. He opened a relief valve, filling the corridor with white mist, and dragged Zhou toward a service branch. Gunfire cracked behind them. Sparks and droplets burst from the pipes. They made it through a disused gate. Relic 7411 suddenly turned hot and pulled Zhou down a side corridor. Lin reached for him, but the grating beneath Lin's boots flipped open. He fell for a long time. A transparent membrane broke his fall at the bottom of a colossal shaft. The opening above healed, cutting off Zhou's shout. Lin's left shoulder burned and his headlamp was dead.