Ted James hates the Skya'ja, the fish-faced aliens who destroyed the Earth. Promising humanity the clean, renewable energy that transformed them into a peaceful spacefaring species, the invaders lured scientists like Ted's father into their project. Instead, the explosion known as the Cataclysm wiped out electrical grids, governments, and militaries. Two years later, the Earth is a scrapheap where the remaining few humans and aliens war for the resources that are left.

Living among the ruins of Charlotte, Ted wants answers about his father's fate and why the downtown area is covered in a shimmering Bubble that seems to kill all who try to enter. A lucky shot allows him to capture the scouting Skya'ja known as Tash'jya for interrogation. The only problem is his hatred is hard to maintain the more he learns about his prisoner.

Running from Revon, a violent militia leader who wants all Skya'ja dead, Ted teams up with gutsy clinic nurse, Loren Westfield, to keep his prisoner alive long enough to get the information he needs. Can Ted uncover the truth behind Tash'jya's mission-and what it has to do with his father?