Dylan receives a message from Tri-Jema. She tells him that there has been a non-confidence vote called on her in the Senate. She feels that the Senate is being manipulated through fear, but Dylan says that he is happy that, at least, the Senate is functioning.

Tri-Jema tells Dylan to take the Andromeda to Ganglia Drift for a refit. Ganglia Drift is run by a man named "Citizen Eight", whose family had pre-Fall ties to the Commonwealth, building the fleet. Eight also has a "Prescient" on his Drift, who foretells the future. Tri-Jema claims that Eight wants to replace her on the Senate, and his first move will be to replace Dylan as Andromeda's captain, claiming (based on the Prescient's predictions) that they are both corrupt. Dylan and Tri-Jema agree that Eight is using the Prescient to manipulate popular opinion.

Worker droids from Ganglia Drift are on the Andromeda, when they start to go haywire. Beka and Rommie go to investigate, meeting Harper outside the maintenance bay. When they open the door, the droids throw shurikens at them, and one sticks in Rommie's back, but it is quickly removed by Harper, who has created a device to scramble the droids' circuits using an electromagnetic pulse. Dylan joins them, runs into the bay, grabs a droid, and drags it out. Harper wedges his device in the droid, and they release it back into the maintenance bay. The device detonates and disables the droids (as well as temporarily knocking Rommie out).

Arriving at Ganglia Drift, Andromeda notes that much of Eight's income comes from dubious sources, such as arms dealing. A message arrives from the Drift, with an invitation for Dylan to meet with Eight, and he accepts. Harper is excited about the upgrades to be done to the ship, as well as the possibilities the Drift may offer.

Two of the technicians assigned to supervise the work on Andromeda are beautiful blonde women – Ti-Ki and Ron-Dai. Harper volunteers to assist them.

Dylan, Beka, and Harper visit the Drift. While Dylan meets with Eight, Beka joins the gambling which is prevalent, looking for an opportunity to repay some of her debts. Harper goes with her.

Dylan complains to Eight about the problems experienced with the droids on the Andromeda, but Eight claims that he was not responsible. He does admit that the Prescient warned of chaos on the Andromeda, however. Eight claims to be a big supporter of the Commonwealth, and offers to have the Prescient read Dylan's future. Dylan retrieves Beka and Harper, and they go to meet with the Prescient.

Eight introduces them to the Prescient's High Priestess, Misabo-Ahm, who offers to read their future. Beka volunteers to go first, and the Priestess has Beka take a ball of "food" for the Prescient, and place it in a slot to feed it. Beka's prophecy is "Twelve will do to save the day." Harper's is "Two women will reveal themselves to you, make you hold them until they are secure." (This meets with Harper's approval.) Dylan's prophecy is that he will betray the leaders and the people of the Commonwealth. Dylan is upset with this, and the people observing the ceremony are angry with him.

Dylan accuses Eight of using the Prescient to manipulate people, but Eight claims that he is only trying to protect Dylan. He offers to sell the Prescient, if the Commonwealth wants to buy it.

Trance tells Dylan that Eight is only looking out for himself, but he and the Prescient are somehow linked to something bigger and darker – powers that want Dylan dead.

Harper offers to help Ti-Ki and Ron-Dai, bragging about his designs, etc. They ask him to fetch tools for them.

Dylan and Rommie investigate the Prescient. They conclude that the prophecies must somehow be linked to the food. They discover that Eight supplies the food, but they cannot determine where he gets it.

Beka is doing well at the gaming table. Dylan asks her to provide a distraction, and she does, culminating in shooting out a steam pipe using a shot that ricochets 12 times – fulfilling her prophesy. This distracts the guards enough for Dylan and Rommie to slip by, into the Prescient's chamber, and take one of the food balls. Rommie analyzes the ball, and concludes that it contains some sort of neural tissue. When a subject handles it, their strongest thoughts and emotions are imprinted on it for the Prescient to read.

Rommie wakes Harper (who is dreaming about Ti-Ki and Ron-Dai), and tells him to meet her in the virtual reality matrix. She shows him that she has located a virus/control program, probably planted by the two women.

Dylan goes to visit the Prescient, and speaks to the Priestess. He asks where they came from. She tells him that they escaped from the Abyss, and their homeworld was destroyed. They were captured by Nietzscheans, and passed through many hands before ending up here. She and the Prescient are a bonded pair, who "seek truth". They hope for freedom, but the Prescient has foreseen that it will be the last thing that Eight ever sees, so they know they are linked with Eight.

Rommie and Dylan break into Eight's office. Rommie accesses Eight's data, and finds out where he is getting the Prescient's food. Eight interrupts them, and attempts to persuade Dylan to break his allegiance with the Commonwealth and join him. Dylan tells Eight that he intends to destroy the Prescient's food source, rendering it useless to Eight. Eight insists that he is too important to the Commonwealth (because of his knowledge of their ships) for Dylan to harm.

Harper and Rommie locate and isolate the virus, but Dylan tells Rommie to leave it in place.

The Abyss appears to Eight, and Eight promises that Dylan will not leave the Drift alive.

Dylan sends Ti-Ki and Ron-Dai to the brig, and Andromeda leaves the Drift. Eight sends several transport ships in pursuit. He tells Dylan that he will make a case against him for treason if he does not return. As the "transports" open fire on Andromeda, Rommie reports a problem: The virus has been activated. Rommie collapses, and the Andromeda is taking heavy fire. Dylan says that the next move is up to Eight.

Eight contacts Dylan, and tells him that the Commonwealth will fall to forces beyond it, and he controls the fleet, therefore he controls the Commonwealth. Dylan informs Eight that he has been re-broadcasting Eight's message on open channels, and calls for Rommie (who was faking her incapacitation) to open fire.

Dylan returns to the Drift in a slipfighter, and confronts Eight in the Prescient's chamber. He arrests Eight for conspiracy and sabotage, but Eight refuses to acknowledge his authority. Eight has the security systems fire on Dylan, who shoots and kills Eight in front of the Prescient, fulfilling Eight's prophecy. Eight dissolves into a black puddle with glowing red spots (like Paroo). Dylan tells the Priestess that she and the Prescient are free to choose their own future.

Beka finds Harper primping for Ti-Ki and Ron-Dai, but informs him that they have been arrested. She observes that this fulfills Harper's prophecy of "holding them" and making sure that they are "secure".

Tri-Jema commends Dylan for his work.

Dylan and Trance speak on the Maru. Trance tells Dylan that he is "The One", but that he will, some day, betray the Commonwealth, although she does not know how or why.