In Southland, Viki Lighthill monitors as her mother, General Victory Smith, delivers a brief offer to Parliament via Tim Downing. Brent signals a sudden loss of their covert feeds, and attack alarms trigger; Viki mobilizes her team to move.

At Diamond One, Nau learns L1 ziphead control has gone dark, likely from Pham’s raid on the Attic. Ritser Brughel, still connected from the Invisible Hand, reports the ground operation can proceed: Southmost will be nuked in about 700 seconds and the Hand will destroy the Accord’s antimissile fields. Before Nau can reach the arsenal, the park lake—its servos subverted—surges into a catastrophic microgravity flood, destroying the lodge. Swept into the canopy, Nau, his guards, and Ali Lin survive. Ezr Vinh, trying to evade, is ordered killed; Marli’s shots bloom red around Ezr underwater.

Trapped by descending water, Ali reveals a sluiceway with a fiber headpoint. The group retreats into the channel, sealing out the flood. Realizing Trinli is actually Pham Nuwen, Nau recovers his nerve and resolves to exploit Pham’s moral ties—planning to contact Qiwi Lin Lisolet and leverage her love for Ali Lin.

Back at Parliament Hall, Smith blocks Pedure’s path for a confrontation. Both receive urgent calls: three ice-launched missiles are inbound within minutes. Pedure panics, accuses Smith, and lunges with a knife; Unnerby intercepts and knocks Pedure off the stage as Pedure’s agents clash with Smith’s troops. Amid claims on the news that the Accord launched the strike, Unnerby leads Smith toward deep security shafts, racing the countdown.