The quest to solve an ancient riddle becomes an odyssey for the ages when Jim Trillion, Sergei and friends find themselves on the perilous path to the Fording—a long-lost device so powerful it may have created the Star Binder itself. With the treacherous Sheikers also seeking to possess it, Jim and his team must delve deep into the legacy of an extinct civilization known as the Builders, in order to unravel the clues that will see them past a series of deadly traps. But even with help from an unlikely ally, nothing is as it seems in this race against time, destiny, and the dark forces of the cosmos.
Meanwhile, the five young adventurers ponder their future in the increasingly oppressive Initiative. As the war makes inroads into the sanctity of the hidden colonies, fight or flight is the question each of them must soon face. And as Jim's relationship with Rachel starts to blossom, so too do his unprecedented abilities inside the Binder—an "awakening" that could profoundly affect mankind's journey to the stars.