“We’ll start making and recording daily observations,” Lake said. “Maybe the tilt will start back the other way before it’s too late.”

Fall seemed to come a little later that year. Craig went to the south as soon as the weather permitted but there were no minerals there; only the metal-barren hills dwindling in size until they became a prairie that sloped down and down toward the southern lowlands where all the creatures of Ragnarok spent the winter.

“I’ll try again to the north when spring comes,” Craig said. “Maybe that mountain on the plateau will have something.”

Winter came, and Elaine died in giving him a son. The loss of Elaine was an unexpected blow; hurting more than he would ever have thought possible.

But he had a son⁠ ⁠… and it was his responsibility to do whatever he could to insure the survival of his son and of the sons and daughters of all the others.