PROLOGUE NOVEMBER 2552, LOCATION UNDEFINED. LAST VERIFIED REALSPACE LOCATION: THE CORE OF THE PLANET ONYX. It’s a beautiful sunny day. The oak branches are swaying gently in the breeze and the air’s scented with unseen blossom. And we’re trapped. Did you ever run and hide as a kid? Ever slam the closet door behind you, giggling because you were sure you’d never be found, and then realize you’d locked yourself in? Did you panic or breathe a sigh of relief? I suppose it al depends on what you were hiding from. We’re hiding from the end of the world. For al we know, it’s already happened. If there’s anyone left out there, they don’t even know we’re here. We may be the last sentient life left in the galaxy—me, Chief Mendez, and a detachment of Spartans. Correction: three of my Spartans—Fred, Kel y, and Linda—and five others who are something else entirely, five I didn’t even know existed until this week, and if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s not knowing. You’ll explain yourself to me, Chief. I’ve got all the time in the world now. I’ve got more time than I know what to do with. Mendez takes something out of his pants pocket and gazes wistful y at it like a pilgrim with a holy relic before putting