After surviving the encounter in Sickle Quadrant, Shakbout Mansard is certain that the past has been safely locked away. But after being transferred to the PR Agency under Lincoln, he finds out that the past is alive and well, and ready to hunt him down. Soon, a message from a dead friend turns into a race against time to stop a crazed cult from destroying the inhabited systems. At the same time, Shakbout finds himself a convenient pawn in the game others are playing against Flitton Sedge. The desire to harvest the power of the Bottle Born will drive some to horrifying actions, and Shakbout will need all the help he can get to survive.