Having solved one mystery together, Cinque, Conrad, and Wayne find themselves dealing with baggage reclaim on Alaundril. Along with another wanderer, Gustina, they are quickly signed up by Mahum “Mayhem” Mynsip, the new captain of the Unlucky Sparrow, who needs a crew on short notice for a totally-not-sketchy-as-hell contract with Verge Explorations Inc in a far-flung region of the Verge.
Unrelated to this undertaking, an enigmatic fraal, E’ Yala Rist, will be their honoured passenger. When questioned, Mayhem was a bit hazy on why he had agreed to convey her, or indeed where she was travelling to.
The Sparrow is but one of a half dozen independents contracted to drop survey probes in a cluster of systems half way across the Verge. They are deposited in the Exile system by the mining vessel VEI-W13, nicknamed Wei-Wei by its crew.
Despite mounting tensions and mental breakdowns, the Sparrow’s crew complete their mission. While waiting to be picked up, they stumble across an abandoned alien vessel, which they decide to explore (and salvage) before Wei-Wei returns.
After taking fire from a defence mechanism, the four retreat. Yala reveals herself to have biokinetic abilities and partially heals their wounds. They regroup the following morning to consider their options.