Arctic

"Another marker node." Harry stood up. "It had a pulse sequence similar to the last one, but the encoded content was different. Maybe each marker node has its own unique position code."

"Then they might form a chain." Cassandra stood beside him, looking at the gravel on the ground. "Starting from the main node on the plateau, passing through several marker nodes, and extending west. Each marker node records its position in the chain, so even if one fails, the others can keep the network connected."

"Like signposts along a road," Anaka said.

"More or less."

They found several more faint carvings near the node, similar in style to those at the previous marker node.

Cassandra sketched the carvings, and they continued west.

That evening, they camped near the second marker node. It was colder than the day before. The clouds were thin, and stars glimmered faintly against the gray-blue sky.

Harry sat outside the tent, watching the white outline of the distant ice sheet fade into the dusk. Cassandra came out and sat beside him.

"Keep going west tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yes. Let's see if there are more marker nodes."

They sat outside for a while, then went back into the tent and lay down once darkness had fully fallen.

The low-frequency vibration beneath the ground continued. The signal from the plateau was weakening, but the pulse signals from the two marker nodes remained distinct in the night. Harry closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep surrounded by them.

The next morning, they continued west. Vegetation grew sparser until only a few clumps of Arctic moss clung to the ground.

Harry walked in the middle of the group, feeling the ley line vibrations gradually weaken. The plateau's signal had faded until it was almost impossible to distinguish, but the