Ruthless machines expand their empire; the fate of humanity rests in the hands of unlikely heroes scattered across the galaxy.On Galapagos, Minister-General Reginald Ellison faces the daunting task of uniting nations divided by generations of animosity and suspicion. With technology and weapons inferior to the enemy's, protecting their world means sacrificing blood and bone against the relentless onslaught of steel and fire.On Earth, Colt and Mohini race against time to contact the human rebellion before the machines hunt them down. Armed with a plan to strike against the Simon unit controlling North America, they must navigate the complex dynamics of rebel leadership and their own vision for humanity's future.Meanwhile, on Carthage, Audrey, the Prime Legislator's daughter, seeks to escape her old life by embarking on a mission to deep space. But as a Simon-model android joins her journey, Audrey is forced to confront the question of whether her family's legacy is an inescapable fate, and if she can break free from the empire of machines her home planet has unleashed.In this thrilling sequel, author Max Carver takes readers on a heart-pounding journey through a galaxy on the brink of total subjugation.Can the unlikely heroes rise to the challenge and turn the tide against the empire of machines, or will the galaxy be forever enslaved by the very technology humanity created?