The time of the Great Exodus is over. Centuries have passed. Earth is overpopulated and the fate of the colonists who traveled to the stars is unknown. An attempt to start the second wave of expansion has led to a shocking discovery: all accessible planets located within one hyperjump from the Solar System have been settled during the Great Exodus. The colonists have created unique and distinctive civilizations—but none of that matters when the survival of billions of Terrans is at stake.