How do you prove you're a person to those who insist you're only a machine? Earth is gone. When the Cybrid, DAR-K, and her team built the Vesta asteroid habitats that now shelter the last of humanity, they saw themselves as equal partners in the project. For decades, these robotic beings hosted select human minds and dedicated their lives to ensuring the survival of the biologicals. Now, as Vesta heads toward a game-changing election, the Cybrids are demanding to be recognized as full citizens. But Alum, self-declared Leader of the colonies, has a different vision. He's about to strip away the last of the Cybrids' rights and banish "those machines" from the habitats forever. Is he also the driving force behind the recent acts of sabotage and rising anti-Cybrid violence? How far will the Cybrids go to gain a voice in determining the colony's future, and will Alum risk destroying the habitats to deny them power?