Now fugitives in another dimension, the Sterlings try to settle into their new home; but they soon find out all of the townspeople are androids. Trace, not knowing everyone is an android, falls in love with a young girl android named Nova. Nova must help the Sterlings escape into the Forbidden Zone before the Zone Troopers capture them. She also must decide whether to escape with the Sterlings, leaving her family behind, or let the one she loves go on without her.
The Sterlings settle into a new agricultural town called Tarka. For their safety they use the crystal they stole from Commander Kroll to change their names to the Hardins. After Trace's grades drop in school, he gets a yellow slip - meaning he is drafted into the Zone Troopers. Trace learns that being a Zone Trooper is for life unless he becomes an officer.
After the Sterlings are shipwrecked on an island, they find a paradise resort. What nobody knows is that the resort is a cover for using its guests to make a youth sustaining liquid called Koloma. But, June and the kids must save Hal, when Scarla, the director of the resort, tries to seduce him and use him in the liquid making process.
Now living in Centrex City, Trace and Gina participate in a talent contest at school where they play a ""new"" form of music called Rock and Roll. They are seen by an agent scouting new talent who then makes them famous. The religious organization called the C.A.I. (Church of Artificial Intelligence) sees them as rebelious icons and fights to quiet them by contacting Praetor for help. Praetor, not wanting to be bothered by something so insignificant, sends Kroll.
While wandering in the Seplicer Mountains deep in the Forbidden Zone, the Sterlings are captured by a wild group called the Motorpigs. Hal must challenge the leader to a motor duel in order to escape.
When the Sterlings arrive in a town called Ador, they find a society where the women are dominant and the men are treated as second class.
While traveling through the dead forest of Animula, the Sterlings encounter a half man-half beast, named Virago, with incredible powers. Virago takes June to be his companion. Assisted by another forest resident named Akin, Hal and the kids try to rescue her.
After arriving at a province called Metraplex, Gina is mistaken for a returning historical figure called Princess Metra. Seeing that groups of people called Microworkers are used as slave labor by the Macrolites, Gina takes advantage of her status by changing the laws to bing about change; and ultimately gets help from a group of rebelling Microworkers. However, the current leader, called the Prime Manager, does not give up her power willingly.
