In Brin, a virtual world, a young man uncovers the startling magic is real. A seasoned spy, certain she has all the answers, is confronted by a love she never anticipated. Meanwhile, on an overpopulated and despairing planet, a new life form emerges—one destined to reshape the future of humanity. Across the galaxy, a gifted teenager struggles to find her place in a society that rejects her, searching for meaning in a universe that seems to have none.