A speck of dust floats in the air, illuminated by a sunbeam. To a daydreamer like Thom Finch, that speck is an imaginary commander leading his army against an equally imaginary foe. The reality is something even Thom's fertile imagination cannot fathom. He must somehow convince himself, his family and his best friend that his sanity is intact and that what he is seeing is real. The Mu'ahi are tiny in comparison to humans - each one as small as a dust mote. Their planet is isolated in a bubble of space that is desperately bereft of resources. The survival of their race is at stake. They are scavengers searching for treasure over ten light years from home.