On the penal colony of Hibiscus Station, there's no personnel more vital than the Pomps, who direct the excavation of highly volatile crystal. Young was in training to be a Pomp until a mental break and subsequent suicide attempt derailed her...and now she's unraveling again. But when her secret hallucinations predict a tunnel explosion that kills her entire crew, she is offered a surprise second chance to complete her Pomp training, which she accepts in hopes of paying off the penal debt that is keeping her from going home. But the more she trains, the more her paranoia takes hold. What if the tunnel collapse wasn't an accident? And what if everyone-her new crew, the station staff, even her lover-are all part of the deadly conspiracy?