Three days had passed since the last attack. Tom sat in the cart while the sun beat down. Weylin and Ellie sat behind him chattering back and forth in some language that seemed familiar but was full of technical terms. The desert rolled by under the hot clouds. The solar tower dotted plains turned into golden rolling hills. The suburban houses gave way to bigger buildings. Large buildings lay ahead, giving way to an even larger city.

The approach made him nervous. Images of ...