The car rolled off the main transit lane and into Ashfall Verge without any clear marker that said they'd arrived. There was no gate, no checkpoint, no welcoming sign. The pavement changed first, smoother alloys giving way to patched concrete and old composite slabs that didn't quite line up. Traffic slowed, not because of congestion, but because drivers were watching each other instead of the road.
Klatos rested an elbow against the window and looked out. "This is it," he said. "Once you're in, you're in."
Xavier didn't respond right away. He was watching the movement. Cargo lifters cutting across lanes without signals. Workers flagging down vehicles directly instead of using terminals. Stacks of containers welded into living spaces, power cables draped between them like someone had given up on hiding the theft years ago.
Ashfall Verge felt busy without feeling organized.
