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Nomad departs alone at night to test the steam-assisted engine on his cycle, ascending a razor-edged, glassy slope into thinning air. He explains to Auxiliary that Union flies a fixed latitude, so the Refuge’s entrance must lie along that path where the Cinder King could periodically land and study it during crop stops.

As the conventional engine falters, Nomad engages the steam jet, proving it can provide lift above the airless zone. At the summit, he reflects on the stars, the looming Night Brigade, and his past misjudgment in assuming they would ignore him without the Dawnshard. He and Auxiliary discuss growth and identity; Nomad accepts he is the same man, carrying painful continuity rather than reinvention.

Nomad concludes that locating and opening the Refuge will be straightforward because the Cinder King already knows the site. The real challenge will be managing Beacon’s expectations when the door likely reveals a small offworld research facility rather than a utopian sanctuary, a truth he insists is not his responsibility beyond his oath to get leaders through.

After confirming the path and the engine’s performance, Nomad descends, reentering breathable air and switching back to the regular engine. He returns to Beacon, where the fleet has shed weight and installed the new components, preparing to attempt the mountain crossing with 135 people relying on his plan.