The second novel of the Forerunner Saga trilogy by science fiction
legend Greg Bear--set in the Halo universe and based on the New York
Times bestselling video game series!
One hundred thousand years ago. In the wake of the apparent
self-destruction of the alien Forerunner empire, two humans--Chakas and
Riser--are like flotsam washed up on very strange shores indeed.
Captured by the Forerunner known as the Master Builder and then
misplaced during a furious battle in space, Chakas and Riser now find
themselves on an inverted world, where horizons rise into the sky and
humans of all kinds are trapped in a perilous cycle of horror and
neglect. They have become both research animals and strategic pawns in a
cosmic game whose madness knows no end--a game of ancient vengeance
between the powers who seeded the galaxy with life, and the Forerunners
who expect to inherit their sacred Mantle of Responsibility to all
living things.
In the company of a young girl and an old man, Chakas begins an epic
journey across a lost and damaged Halo ringworld in search of a way
home, an explanation for the warrior spirits rising up within, and the
reason for the Forerunner Librarian's tampering with human destiny.
Their travels will take them into the domain of a powerful and monstrous
intelligence--known as "the Captive" by Forerunners, and "the
Primordial" by ancient human warriors, this being may not only control
the fate of Chakas, Riser, and the rest of humanity, but of all sentient
life across the galaxy...
