Port Alpha

Port Alpha is the Martian settlement where John Evans lives before travelling to Earth. It is a place of pressure glass, buried utilities, trams, shared meals, and constant machinery.

Daily life

Life-support systems operate on Mday time, while off-world communication can use Earth time. A scheduler that applies a conversion twice becomes an early clue in the book.

Community

John’s neighbours gather around a table made from a retired pressure door. The settlement records who leaves, what knowledge goes with them, and who will carry their work.

Departure

Fusion tugs, docking systems, and departure windows connect Port Alpha to the wider transport network. Safety depends on agreeing which clock a procedure follows.

In the book

Chapter One, “The Shape of an Mday,” and the opening departure sequence.