Chapter One: Tomorrow in the Wheel

There was nobody behind Voss. The isolation sheet fell slowly to the floor. Where Han had stood, a tripod wrench rocked gently on its feet. “Who?” Voss asked. “Han Tuo. Chief mechanic. He was right there.” The second officer checked the roster. “The chief mechanic post has been vacant for eleven years. Apprentice Lin Li, you have always run Bay Three alone.” “That’s impossible.” She lunged for Han’s locker. His photograph was gone, the badge slot empty, even the iron cup he had used for twenty years erased. Yet a damp ring remained on the workbench, and the wrench still carried the warmth of his hand. Lin opened her fist. The nut was there.