First published 1985
Mischa lives as a thief in Center, humanity's last city built within cave systems beneath Earth's surface. Violent storms have made the planet's surface uninhabitable, forcing the population underground where the city seals itself during the worst weather. Mischa possesses psychic abilities from hereditary mutations that aid her criminal activities. She desperately wants to flee Center with her drug-dependent brother, escaping the control of their domineering uncle. When a starship lands carrying twin alien commanders called Subone and Subtwo, Mischa sees her opportunity for freedom. Her plans crumble when Subone deliberately provokes her brother into a deadly confrontation, murdering him out of pure malice. Mischa strikes back against the alien killer but must run from his vengeful partner. She retreats into the deepest cave networks beneath Center, hiding in the darkness while carrying the weight of her brother's death and her failed dreams of escape.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Center, Earth
Period: Future
248 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Tor Books
Content warnings: death, violence