After a simple breakfast, the entire group head into the 'town' around the Gateway lifedome. The first stop is the Naga merchant, to get cloaks for the Lapi does and the Karnor doctors. Then the stop by the money-changing bunker to ask the guard (Margie) about sending messages via the 'wireless' and how to get to the train depot.

The Karnor guard guides Tasha to the telegraph office, and explains that most people get to the depot by riding with a caravan or renting horses. They make it to the telegraph office, which uses a powerful electric spark to send out radio pulses, and Gabriel goes in to send his message, which is written in military code that they all hope will still be in use.

The telegraph office serves the Expedition, Celestial Empire and the Silent Ones, so there is a guard from each faction and a separate office for each as well. While Gabriel sends his message, Tasha goes to talk to the Silent One guard and Layth the Naga.

Being guards, they aren't very knowledgeable or polite. Layth offers help from the Mages, but the Naga just doesn't have a clue and tells him to check with the refugees – and to move along if he doesn't have business with the Empire.

Tasha's Silent One guard has a device on his gauntlet that translates his signs into speech, but the Vartan wants to practice her own signing. The guard first asks her what she is, and when she signs that her mother is a Vartan and her father was a Karnor, the guard crosses himself and calls her a 'Coalition abomination'.

Tasha barely contains her temper, and Gabriel returns and wonders what happened. Tasha rants about getting back at the Silent One, while Caravelli points out that the guard is wearing powered armor that they'd have no chance against.

They finally head for the Titanian spaceship, which in the light of day looks like a cobbled together giant sailing ship, with huge oars as well. Tasha talks to the Titanian at the gangplank, who is confused that she's not there to trade techno-junk for 'wigglers', which the Naga refugees apparently have been doing.

A new, slightly brighter Titanian is summoned, and Tasha finally gets across that she wants to talk to the captain about getting a ride to the moon Sheol. He takes them aboard the bizarre ship and they meet Captain Rushfighter.

There is some haggling, as the group tries to figure out what they can trade for passage. Finally the captain starts reading from a list of things that one of their trading partners are interested in, and when he gets to 'primitive religious icons' Calli and Tasha offer up their Amazonian-made medallion and icon.

After a bit more haggling about being picked up (and accidentally getting Rushfighter interested in just what sort of loot might be on the moon) a deal is struck – the Dainty Maulter will be leaving in ten days, and will drop them off (along with a Titanian guard) on the moon and pick them up later.