A city-destroying sand storm approaches Beijing. A man-made plague of empty realities consumes rich and poor alike. War clouds gather on the plains of Africa. As the climate spirals towards a tipping point, factions position themselves for a radically changed world.

When Zel Aurora embarks on a journey to help the Quicksilver Spider discover his beginnings, she uses the adventure to teach her girls life lessons. But when a digital sea plague invades the idyllic Louisiana estate, Zel cannot ignore the world's decent into chaos any longer. Now Zel is faced with a terrible choice: risk her daughters as she goes after an old foe, or leave a friend to die.