Matthew Wade had been a coord, one of the mysterious chosen ones who through powers unknown to the rest of mankind, ruled the known galaxy. But Wade fled from the overwhelming responsibility of his exalted caste and went into hiding ... on the symb-socket circuit. The symb-socketeers were the migrant workers of the galaxy. Traveling from planet to planet, they worked for play and played for a living. Matthew Wade adopted this freewheeling, ever-changing life hoping to evade the bailiffs of Altimus, the home planet of the coords, knowing that they would never rest until they had tracked down the renegade. And then Wade took service on the planet of Ashramdrego, and was faced with the most important decision of his life – would he let an entire planet be destroyed rather than reveal his true identity... ?