Our world is mired in chaos, disorder, and endless conflict. We have depleted the planet's natural resources to a point of scarcity. Wars now threaten to erupt over the dwindling remaining natural resources: fossil fuel, water, arable land, and rare-earth minerals. We have used the fear of mutual assured annihilation by destructive weapons to achieve a tenuous and shaky peace in the world. Our financial institutions are imploding as nations sink beneath oceans of debt. It is becoming clear that the entire model human civilization was built upon is flawed and destined to soon unravel. Our past is plain, the present is ambiguous, and our future remains uncertain. Sooner, or later, we're going to have to confront the very challenges that now threaten our survival on this planet. The clock is ticking, and we are running out of time to avert disaster. This is the second book in the Sparkle Series.