Prologue
Pearl
Parauapebas, Brazil
December 29, 2032 / 08:47 a.m. local time
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and looked at the line of people waiting patiently. My office hours had only just begun and it was already so hot that the sweat running down was tickling me between my breasts. It was my third day here at the camp and I still had trouble transitioning from winter to summer. When I left Washington, there had been snow on the lawn of the white house and it had been freezing cold. I was looking forward to a little bit of warmth, but I hadn't expected it to be so hard to get used to the climate change. Sighing, I looked at the woman standing in front of my desk, a baby in her arms, and a toddler of about four years by the hand.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Maria Jozè."
"And y
