A new virus - C24 - hits Forthaven. Berger seizes his opportunity, blaming the virus on the ACs, and exposing Fleur's true origins in an attempt to undermine confidence in President Tate.
Cass's past smashes into his present when he finds a note threatening to expose his real identity. Stella and Tate must now face the prospect of another, superior, hostile life force on Carpathia and discover a way to communicate with it.
A rogue AC enters Forthaven and ends up attacking one of the citizens which prompts the PAS officers to take action in an effort to control the situation.
Seeking the chance to build a better future, a group of courageous pioneers departs Earth for Carpathia, a newly discovered planet in a distant galaxy. Led by President Richard Tate and his core team of Stella, Cass and Fleur, the pioneers settle in the town of Forthaven, creating a society there alongside expeditionaries Mitchell and Jack. Having embraced all the challenges that come with forging a new beginning, the townspeople work hard to preserve what they've built on Carpathia, and even as they long for those left behind, there is optimism about the future. But while they try to learn from mistakes made on Earth, there is no avoiding the human pitfalls of love, greed, lust and loss.