door to the guest room

arm pulse on her left wrist. In her mind's eye, the Personal Biome unfolded-a

uld even unlock it, leaving her to starve and freeze in the ruins of

d buy the steel, energy systems, and biological resources to build her haven. She pulled out a blank

f high heels soun

pressing it flat against the wo

n in a sharp gray suit carrying a leather b

from his briefcase and held them out to Jessie. "This is the form

d back against the desk, crossing her ar

you out of your mind? That's extortion! That kind o

" Jessie stated, her voice flat, her eyes locked on the lawyer. "

treet brain was calculating the math, and he knew Jessie was righ

, her chest heaving.

o want the deed to the abandoned es

rocks? We've been trying to sell that useless land for a d

ke in hushed, angry tones for a few seconds before han

ble printer, and connected it to his tablet. Within min

her eyes scanning the legal jargon with mechanical preci

lines and pressed her thumb onto the ink pa

sly on his tablet, autho

it out. A notification from her offshore account

envelope. "The deed and the key

th disgust. "Take your money and g

rled in her stomach. She didn't say a word. She jus

a brick wall. She spun around and stormed ou

round the sterile, luxurious guest room. It

e suitcase out of the room, down the

from a porcelain cup. When she saw Jessie's

kirt. "Do you need me to have the dri

" Jessie replied,

er. Her eyes suddenly d

f an antique necklace resting against her collarbone. The pendant was

dilated, and a raw, suffocating wa

nized tha

in a private collector's archive, she had seen an exact, hand-drawn illustration of this very geometric pattern. The ancient text described it as

was, hanging from a cheap silver chain around the neck of this country bumpkin. Jessie clearly had no id

amed, her knuckles turning white. A d

hunger in Harley's eyes. She casually reached up and pu

iding smoothly toward the private elevator. She left Harley standing in the mi