The star-jade cable could carry a huge load without getting warm. Its gold terminals could not. Inside Vault Four at Frost-Belt Hub, liquid helium kept those terminals at 4.2 kelvin.
At 04:15, Li Xiaoyao and Tie Kuang were testing the cooling lines with two apprentices, Little Chen and Mara. The pressure had held steady for fourteen minutes.
“One more minute,” Little Chen said. His breath fogged in the cold air.
Above them, Commander Vael and three Concordat workers clung to a crane rail. Wu Ji had sent them through an open slag chute while the warships outside argued over a navigation citation. Their orders were simple: break the cooling system, blind the grid, and leave before anyone could answer.
Vael pressed a violet charge against the main valve.
Li Xiaoyao’s compass spun. “Something is wrong with Header Two.”
The charge went off.
Frozen bronze split. Helium hit the warm vault and expanded into a white cloud. The blast threw Li Xiaoyao against a rail and pinned his leg. Tie Kuang shoved the apprentices behind a steel plate as the live bus tore loose from its supports.
