Borehole

Six feet from the bomb shelter, this borehole pierces Dulcis's surface as the Dominators' core-extraction target. Jamie and Cully tunnel horizontally to reach it, detonating charges that topple the towering drill rig and crush a Quark under wreckage. Zoe tracks the chaos through the periscope: Toba reels amid dust clouds, as the distant explosion shakes the shelter with tremors and echoes victory laced with dread of swift retaliation.