Summary

Chapter 1: "The Man Who Belonged on Earth"

Dagny must cut trains from her schedules as Colorado's economy collapses. No one can get oil from Wyatt's wells, so the companies that depended on that oil go out of business. The oil shortage forces much of the country to turn to coal. Andrew Stockton and Lawrence Hammond have mysteriously vanished. Ken Dannager is one of the few industrialists who remain.

The only Taggart train running on oil is the Taggart Comet. Taggart is pulling less and less every day, but Jim has acquired a stream of subsidies from Washington that manage to keep Taggart profits at an all-time high.

Dagny has intensified her goal to rebuild the motor. She calls Dr. Stadler, who is amazed at what he sees and wonders why a mind that could create it would bother with something as mundane as a...