Thin Edge

In the asteroid belt, a space tug crew performs the dangerous, exacting work of capturing a newly anchored rock, timing its spin and docking over its pole with practiced precision. Jack and Harry's labor reveals a frontier where survival depends on skill, teamwork, and the hard mathematics of microgravity, and where each asteroid means oxygen, raw materials, and the future of the Belt Cities. Yet the real collision is political: Harry Morgan, a Commodore from the Belt, arrives on Earth and immediately exposes the absurdity of a rigid Welfare State that has outlawed courtesy titles and confused status with worth. Morgan's calm wit and deliberate provocations draw out hidden tensions between Earth and the Belt, whose mutual dependence masks a growing fear of rupture. A meeting with the polished, cautious Edward Tarnhorst deepens the mystery surrounding the death of Commodore Jack Latrobe, while Morgan carefully conceals what he knows. As spies circle, a hotel room is turned into a deadly trap and an intruder is mutilated by concealed mechanisms, proving that in this world of espionage and leverage, competence can be as lethal as any weapon. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.