Book two, "Parables," is in three parts that explore social subcultures in the slightly dystopian reality including the pervasive use of intoxicants, high reliance on technology, and social prejudice based on caste affiliation. Part I introduces the reader to a near future, replete with a high-speed transit system, omnipresent germ phobia, and the Alliant Church of God (ACoG) religious cult. (These themes reappear throughout the book series and provide a foundation to contrast against the societal breakdown.) A man's clandestine business objective masks his family 'vacation' to Cuba. Unbeknownst to him, the geomagnetic pole reversal causes a devastating earthquake that tragically cuts his trip short. Part II, follows a middle-aged couple as they embark on an ill-fated trip to fight the influence of the ACoG on her mother. Part III, explores cultural bias based on caste affiliation and follows an unlikely trio of young midlevel technocrats as they strive to escape a world gone wrong in a stolen blimp.