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Chapter 2

Attention Conservation Notice: Personal reading notes intended to prompt the author to finish reading the book.*

Summary

Pirates (28-12-'15) ``{=html}

While Lindsay recovers from dysentry, Ryumin tells him more about the Zaibatsu. We learn that the algae farmers are the most numerous faction and that little is known about the people who live beyond the Wall. We also learn that many of the Zaibatsu's smallest domes are controlled by pirates and privateers with various---and often changing---names (e.g., "Hermes Breakaways", "Gray Torus Radicals", "Grand Megalics", "Soyuz Eclectics"). These small bands of pirates are minnows compared to the Nephrine Black Medicals or the Geisha Bank.

Pirates arrive. They inflate a blimp and prepare to launch a rock into the Sterilized Zone. They seem to be new to the Zaibatsu.

People emerge from a dome on the third land panel. It's the only outpost on the third panel. We learn these people (~ 18 people) are from the Eighth Orbital Army. They aim a projectile weapon at the pirates' blimp. They fire and hit the pirates' airship. The airship disintegrates but the pirates seem to manage to escape the debris.

The rock goes astray and crashes into a window strip. Atmosphere starts venting (?). The breach is repaired by a group of oxygen farmers. Somehow all the members of the Eighth Orbital Army are dead. (We learn later that the spyplanes killed them for endangering the habitat.)

Lindsay goes to the dome to investigate. Two pirates arrive at the dome in ultralights, apparently set on looting the Eighth Orbital Army's "junk dome".

Lindsay converses with the pirates and explores the dome``{=html}

Lindsay meets the two pirates. The first introduces himself as President of the Fortuna Miners Democracy. The second is his wife, whom we learn is the Secretary of State. Lindsay introduces himself as Lin Dze, of Kabuki Intrasolar.

The pirates cut a hole in the dome. They intend to see if there is anything worth looting. Lindsay follows them.

They find a child who has survived the x-ray lasers of the spyplanes. The pirates want to sell the child. Lindsay convinces them to let the child go.

At the Geisha Bank (2-1-'16)``{=html}

WIP

Important selections

WIP

Other Notes

The Zaibatsu's has three land panels. The glass panels allow sun to get in (?). There are also "window strips" (?).
The Sterilized Zone is in front of the southern wall?
Contains an explicit break indicating the passage of one "day" (?)

Commentary

This is a great chapter. Sterling does not waste the reader's time. Sometimes, in fact, the plot moves a little too quickly.