Existence after Skydark is a gamble against grim odds—winners and losers decided by guns, jack and raw nerve. Still, one intrepid group pushes on, working to understand the secrets of preDark tech at the heart of nuke-altered America. Because keeping hope alive is the next best thing to a good shot at finding something better.
Baron Crabbe is dangerously high on legends of the Trader and rumors of a secret cache. He occupies a redoubt but the old tech remains unfathomable. His ace in the hole is Ryan Cawdor and his band. Prisoners at blasterpoint, they' re ordered to use the matter-transfer units to secure the whereabouts of the imagined weapons stockpile. Ryan knows the truth—and it won' t help Crabbe. But the only option is to play along with the crazed Baron' s scheme and make the dangerous jumps in a limited window of time. Staying alive is all about buying time—waiting for their one chance to chill their captors.