In a city built above an ancient, sentient rock network, a Calibrator who can sense the geological system discovers it’s being systematically sabotaged — and must navigate institutional conspiracy, her own near-fatal depletion, and a partnership with an engineer to save the hidden foundation that holds everything together.
The novel explores themes of governing vs. tending — is real power in commanding authority or in the sustained, patient care that keeps systems alive? It examines the invisible systems — institutions, relationships, maintenance work — that hold civilization together.