Dad looked puzzled. “This wasn’t part of the original cable rail station.”

Then, the light of recognition came into his eyes. “No, this came later.” He pointed at the shed. “That’s your answer, Jimmy. This was where the junta — the Supreme Council — stored the missiles used to bombard Little Sister during the war. When the junta understood that the situation on Little Sister would not go away of its own accord, and once they realized what the consequences of this new circumstance could be, they threatened Little Sister with sanctions at first, and when that had no effect, with war.”

We clambered around the side of the shed until we found a door that had been prized half open. Dad squeezed through and I followed. The shed was dim and dusty and cluttered with moldering piles of scrap metal. Most of the missiles had been broken up.

“This was part of the truce agreement: Destruction of all the weapons used against Little Sister.”

We crunched across the concrete floor.