The network was supposed to protect them. Now it's their greatest vulnerability.
Six months after TJ's sacrifice, his brother Allen discovers fragments of his consciousness still trapped in the defensive network. Then the Qir arrive with a warning: the Elder Xerathi are coming.
The crew of the Phoenix has eight months to prepare. They must restore TJ's fragments into hybrid consciousness capable of resisting the Hierarchy's override commands: ancient control codes built into the network's very foundation. But restoring TJ means risking the collapse of everything he sacrificed himself to protect.
Meanwhile, an infiltrator moves through their network, learning their vulnerabilities and preparing the way for the Elders' arrival. The hunt is on, but finding an enemy that wears the faces of friends may cost them everything.
The Hierarchy designed consciousness to be controlled. TJ will prove it can evolve beyond their design.
The storm is rising.
