Chapter One: Tomorrow in the Wheel

Beneath them was a Dawnline timestamp: 18:40, seven days from now. Only the circulation pumps spoke for a while. Han turned off the scanner, then switched it on again, as if darkness might persuade the numbers to leave. “The coordinates are north of the city,” Lin said. “Under the old mines.” “I know.” “What’s there?” “A restricted zone.” “Why?” “Because the sign says restricted.” It was the kind of useless answer he usually gave with a grin. This time, he covered the wheel with a white isolation sheet and disconnected the bay from the city network. “You’ve seen cracks like this,” Lin said. “No.” “When you lie, your right hand reaches for the fingers missing from your left.”