Underground isn't as safe as we thought.After a troublesome ocean crossing, Huck, Hemant, and Ariadne resume their perilous journey across the planet's infested surface. The candidates' mission: Destroy the Hive, home of the invading aliens-the Arthropods. Upon reaching the Saharan Territory, they pressure the pompous leader of the local transporters to carry them across the sprawling terrain to Pod Kano, to obtain the weapon critical to the Hive's destruction. As they travel, the "inverts" overtly target the convoy, increasing tensions and danger. When the candidates arrive at Kano, they find that Prime Minister Zabu viciously controls the city with an iron grip. With no intention of letting them leave, he forces them into servitude. On opposite sides of an igniting rebellion, they must keep the weapon out of the minister's clutches and escape KANO'S GRASP.The exciting adventure continues as the candidates meet new companions, battle unknown inverts, and encounter more demented surface-dwellers on their mission to annihilate the Arthropods before they wipe out humanity.