Angus Kool has been plotting for a chance to slip away from the Earthcore camp and test the tech that will let him explore the tunnels before anyone else, but he doesn’t know that ex-NSA agent Kayla Meyers is watching their every move. And so has Sonny McGuiness, who is looking for a way to cash in himself. Meanwhile, Veronica Reeves’ objection to Earthcore’s mining is eroding in the face of the company’s resources and technology, which is letting her discover the long-hidden horrors of the dig site.