Fourteen-year-old Cassie is different from most people and The Establishment wants her eliminated. Her brother Dan has been sent on a desert expedition and is already missing, presumed dead. Her dad is acting strangely and her mum has told Cassie that they must escape to 'the outside'. Travelling separately to avoid detection, Cassie has to cope alone. But she doesn't understand why this is all happening to her. She doesn't know where to go, how to get there, or who to trust. As Cassie makes her way towards the outside, she is pursued by members of The Establishment. Fighting for survival, she discovers that the world is not as it seems...