Seventeen-year-old Lyra Daniels is caught in the midst of her parents' excitement as galaxy's leading archaeologists on the mysterious Terra Cotta Warriors discovered on various planets. The invention of the Q-net made space travel possible, but not without the cost of time dilation, which wreaks havoc on Lyra's social life.

As Lyra grapples with her new reality, she engages in illegally worming into the Q-net, only to find companionship in the form of an irresistible security officer who threatens her with the brig. But their problems escalate when a planet goes silent and vital data files disappear. Lyra's worming skills and a translation of an ancient alien artifact become crucial in uncovering the truth.

Their discovery of a deadly new alien phenomenon and the race to solve the mystery of the Warriors propel Lyra and her companions into a dangerous quest where time is not on their side.