With less than four days until action, Ritser Brughel oversees a remote lander that disperses nearly two hundred spylets over Greater Kingston South. Despite losses and a ten-second control lag, the ziphead operator Melin threads one spylet indoors, relays the link, and delivers crisp views. Anne Reynolt notes that Victory Smith is starting to suspect network corruption and warns the Spiders could partition their nets, which would block Emergent control.

The spylet’s descent reveals the Spiders at close range, confirming their city scale and alien physiognomy. Brughel, repulsed yet triumphant, anticipates that these very Spiders will be casualties once the Emergents seize control in under four days.

In orbit, Jau Xin and Pham Trinli inspect the Invisible Hand’s drive, planning a gentle boost and a one‑gravity braking burn over ocean to avoid global detection. Jau readies the ship to carry more than a hundred zipheads to low orbit, eliminating the crippling L1 time lag for intensive manipulation of Spider networks and strategic systems.

Kal Omo then brings Jau into the L1 arsenal, where weapons are being refitted for the Hand: eighteen short‑range nukes and components for weapon lasers. Omo explains they may need low‑orbit strikes over the south polar crisis and demands Jau’s instant, unquestioning compliance. Cornered, Jau yields to Emergency authority, resolving to obey as the invasion timetable nears.