The crimson toggle switch clicked into place with a sharp metallic clatter.
Across the dark cliffs of Open-Pit #1, emergency sirens screamed in a frantic, rising whine. Red warning beacons flashed against the frozen rock faces like bleeding eyes.
WARNING: CANOPY PURGE INITIATED. ATMOSPHERE VENTING IN THREE SECONDS.
High above the canyon, the magnetic forcefield holding the thin air inside the pit flickered, turned amber, and collapsed. The heavy, freezing gale from the upper atmosphere howled like a hungry wolf as millions of tons of cold air rushed toward the vacuum.
“Everyone into the blast tunnels!” Old Granite roared, scooping little Xiao Wu into his single stone arm. “Get down! Cover your mouths!”
Miners screamed in terror, dropping their pickaxes as their breath caught in their throats. The sudden pressure drop made ears pop and chests tighten.
Lin Mo didn’t move. He stood calmly on the snow-covered permafrost, tapped his collar comm, and spoke in a relaxed tone.
“Master Lu, Grandma Chen,” Lin Mo said. “Drop the lunch boxes.”
