Quinn O'Connell Jr.

To his fellow crewmembers on rig number 34 of the Bomac Drilling Company, 27-year-old newcomer Zachary Harper is a mystery. To Marty, the derrick hand, he's a welcome working body. To Freddy, the chainhand, he's just another newcomer like himself trying to break out in the oil patch. To Jesse Lancaster, the driller, he's a "worm"-a risk, taken out of necessity, who just might make it as a roughneck. We join Zachary Harper the day after he has left...