Inhibitor Phase

For four decades, Miguel de Ruyter has been the silent sentinel of Michaelmas, a battered, airless world where humanity clings to survival. He meticulously safeguards his family and community from the relentless, xenocidal alien machines known as Inhibitors, or 'wolves,' whose only purpose is annihilation. The mere whisper of human existence could spell doom, drawing these machines to their sanctuary. This grim reality thrusts Miguel onto a desperate, solitary mission: to intercept and eliminate a passing starship before its presence betrays their hidden world. However, his mission goes awry, leaving a sole survivor – a woman who possesses unsettling knowledge of Miguel's past, far more than she lets on. As the fragile peace of Michaelmas teeters on the brink, Miguel is forced to confront not only the external threat of the Inhibitors but also the ghosts of his own history, embarking on a journey that will span the vast emptiness of space, the secrets of submerged alien civilizations, and the ruins of long-lost empires, revealing a universe far more complex and dangerous than he ever imagined.