The climate-driven Collapse is two centuries gone. Its survivors evolved The Union, a culture that has prospered in the harsh new world, in part by squashing stupidities that might trigger a global relapse. Of course, that’s a hefty challenge. People can be awfully stupid.

As a rookie cop in the Union’s national police, Lani Maxwell would normally be busy error-squashing. But she’s on probation, stuck behind a desk, counting fly specks. With patience, Lani might wait out this tedious torture and get back on track.

Alas, patience is not her style.

So, she noses into a place she shouldn’t—and into a deep and deadly conspiracy. The intrigue is stupid, she thinks. But the danger is real. It will make her life very complicated.

Or if she’s not careful, very short.