From Hugo Award-winning and Number One New York Times bestselling author Timothy Zahn, a new novella of intrigue, mystery, and a very unusual star drive. The Meerian tunnel drive revolutionized space travel. With every voyage taking exactly five hours, whether the distance is one light-year or a thousand, the drive allowed humanity to finally escape Earth and reach for the stars. But while the aliens owned the technology, they needed humans to make it practical. Specifically, humans who could temporarily leave their bodies and guide the tunnelships through the void of space. Nathan Skoda is one such navigator. After hundreds of trips, and with hundreds yet to go, all he wants is to finish out his indenture before he succumbs to burnout. So when he’s approached with a plan that might free the navigators from the Meerian chokehold, he decides to check it out. But when the Meerians move to protect their monopoly, Skoda realizes he’s let himself in for more than he bargained for. And he discovers that, dark though his life may be, there’s an even deeper darkness lying beneath the surface.