Made me think of Terry Pratchett's Strata: "Kin's flyer circled the low offices and headed northward to the big complex on W- continent. It skirted the bulk of

Made me think of Terry Pratchett's Strata: "Kin's flyer circled the low offices and headed northward to the big complex on W- continent. It skirted the bulk of what had been Hendry's machine, its new pilot now laying down a pattern of offshore reefs. The manoeuvre gave them an impressive view of the big collector bowl atop the machine, its interior velvety black. 'Why?' said Jalo, peering. Kin twirled the wheel. 'Beamed power from orbiting collectors, slaved to the machine. If we flew over the bowl we wouldn't even leave any ash.' 'What would happen if the pilot made a mistake and the beam missed the bowl?' Kin considered this. 'I don't know,' she said. 'We'd certainly never find the pilot.'"