Earth in the 23rd century is idyllic. It's prosperous, pollution-free, and thanks to the Universal Income, everyone can pursue their passions. There is no industry on Earth; factories, refineries, and mega-farms all exist on other worlds, bound to Earth by the Gates. Stepping through a Gate would be instant death, but anything that's not alive can pass through. And everything does, from food to newly-manufactured cars to abundant clean fuel. Pollutants, waste, and sewage depart just as easily. Utopia has been realized.Stephan Anson is different than his friends and family. They're willing to merely enjoy the bounty the Gates provide. But Stephan wants more - he wants to understand the Gates, and more importantly understand the Paladins; the insular Guild that quietly runs the Gates and insures that the flow never ceases. He's wanted this since childhood, but it's turning from an interest to an obsession. His grades are slipping, his girlfriend has broken up with him, and his parents are worried.The Paladin Guild recruits from the families of its members. Would they ever make an exception? Stephan finds a way in, and as he establishes himself as an apprentice, an extraordinary secret is revealed to him. But beyond that, he makes a discovery on his own, of something that will alter the fabric of his world irrevocably.The Sixth World spans years, and light years. But fundamentally, it's a story about how one person can change the future.