Chapter Two: Every Relic Bows to Zero

Anything that obeyed physics needed service access. A translucent map unfolded above his palm. CURRENT CONTROL: 0.01%. SUCCESSION REQUIRES ZERO CARRIER AND THREE ROOT KEYS. ALL-SIGHT PRISM: HOLDER UNKNOWN. HELIOS HEART: DORMANT. SILENT CROWN: SEALED. “What happens after seventy-two hours?” “The Skywell will disconnect permanently from the surface. Incomplete successors will be purged.” “Purged means escorted out?” “Purged means cessation of biological activity.” Lin looked at the sealed ceiling. “You could have led with that.” He found an inconspicuous drain stack. There was no valve, but pressure rebounded inside every eleven seconds. Lin tapped the inverse rhythm with his wrench. On the third repetition, the wall slid aside.