Chapter Five: Names on a Rope

At 170 meters, the storm front struck Dawnline. Distant thunder moved through the rock, and static burst blue along the rungs. Zhou slipped. Lin caught him, pulling the entire rope chain tight. A-Ying, lowest on the line, swung into a side passage. Its partition slammed down, cutting her away. Voss attacked the door. Shepherd spoke first. "Release the biological key. All other personnel may have their lawful identities restored." "Don't open it," A-Ying called from beyond. "There is another path." "What do you see?" Lin pressed her face to the partition. "The last time, you all died on this ladder." Running footsteps receded below. A-Ying had found a pipe downward. The others continued, the child's section of rope severed by the barrier.