The Revelation Space Collection

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There was a razorstorm coming in.

Sylveste stood on the edge of the excavation and wondered if any of his labours would survive the night. The archaeological dig was an array of deep square shafts separated by baulks of sheer-sided soil: the classical Wheeler box-grid. The shafts went down tens of metres, walled by transparent cofferdams spun from hyperdiamond. A million years of stratified geological history pressed against the sheets. But it would take only one good dustfall — one good razorstorm — to fill the shafts almost to the surface.

‘Confirmation, sir,’ said one of his team, emerging from the crouched form of the first crawler. The man’s voice was muffled behind his breather mask. ‘Cuvier’s just issued a severe weather advisory for the whole North Nekhebet landmass. They’re advising all surface teams to return to the nearest base.’

‘You’re saying we should pack up and drive back to Mantell?’

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