Chapter One: The City Only I Could See

"Since when is Wilkes Land sealed?" "Since 2:18." Lin glanced at the clock. One minute after the city had first pulsed. Chen approached and produced a physical isolation key. As he inserted it into the console, Lin saw a strip of blue-black skin above the glove. Fine markings covered it like feathers. Chen noticed his gaze. For a moment, they regarded each other across the screen. "Some images," Chen said quietly, "see you the instant you see them. For your own sake, forget this." He cut power to the machine. Thunder rolled beyond the city. At 3:09, all of Lin's credentials were suspended. As he left the center, Su caught him at the elevator and slipped a silver flash drive into his pocket.