Synopsis: With the power of a machine to destroy... and the will of a man to be free... Cyborg Jon Hundred faces the challenge of a lifetime. He must tunnel through a titanic mountain on the planet of Pellay before a computerized mining machine beats him to it. The inhabitants of the pioneer settlement are betting on Jon Hundred and have wagered their lives in servitude for a chance at freedom. But can he who is only half human conquer that which is all machine. (from the back cover of the Ace Books first edition)