When renowned archeologist Gav Gendin discovers the wreck of an Ancient starship, with a stasis pod and a still living member of the extinct aliens inside, it should be the greatest triumph of his career. Instead, it ends in disaster and leads to his son, Siv, being placed in cryogenic sleep.

A century later, Siv Gendin wakes to a world in decline, a world where you do what you must to survive. With the help of a snarky, sentient AI companion named Silky, Siv becomes a top procurement specialist.

Enslaved to the Shadowslip Guild, Siv has little hope of ever being his own man. Until they offer him freedom in exchange for completing a practically suicidal mission. His target: a young girl with uncanny abilities. Rival criminal guilds, foreign governments, and religious extremists will risk all-out war to get their hands on her—for good reason.

With her mysterious link to the Ancients, this girl could reshape human civilization, perhaps even bring back the golden age Siv knew as a child. But only if he is willing to defy the Shadowslip and risk everything to keep her safe.