Once again, Zo'or takes up one of Da'an's projects and twists it for his own ends. I'm surprised Da'an actually tries to work on anything, knowing that his "child" will smash it up. This time it is Da'an's Volunteer programme that has come under Zo'or's attention. Da'an had good intentions; to take disaffected teenagers and turn them into disciplined, resourceful people. It's the basic idea behind national service, and behind it is Da'an's hope that Earth will be able to defend itself when the Jeridians arrive. However, Zo'or turns the programme into a training ground for cannon-fodder. The young folks are given implants which enhance their senses and abilities, but which are intended to burn out in a couple of years, killing the "host".

A Liberation cell is attacked by some of those young Taelon soldiers and an equally young rebel manages to capture one of the Volunteers. She takes the brain-washed teen to Liam and Lily, and Augur. (Obviously Augur's new home is still listed as the Liberation headquarters in everyone's address books.) It is interesting to note that the Liberation "soldier", Julia, and the Volunteer, Amanda, are both girls aged around 19 years. Being so young, Julia does not realise the implications of bringing Amanda to Liam. She seems to know that he and Lily are double agents, but she is as single-minded as any Human with a Taelon implant. I love the way that the Humans and Taelons often turn out to be similar in motivation and action. If only they realised that, then everything might have been different!

Dr. Park removes Amanda's implant and under study, it is revealed that it would eventually kill its host. Lian and Lily track down Amanda's mother and it is fairly obvious why she had wanted to join the programme. Mother Dearest is completely unattached to her daughter and cares nothing about her welfare. Sadly, Da'an's original programme could well have helped Amanda and others like her. Once she is awake and in her right mind again, Liam convinces Amanda that not all Taelons are benevolent and she agrees to help him. Obviously, what is needed is a mole. Step up, Julia, as an underachieving, angry teenager. Julia goes to the Taelon Friendship centre, where other Volunteers were recruited, and is then sent on to a training facility. She becomes part of a patrol, who train in the forests for some unspecified mission. For some reason the Volunteer recruits are no longer being given implants. (No idea whether this is a plot device to prevent Julia from being brain-washed, or they just forgot!)

After watching the Volunteers, Liam reports back to Da'an, who is confused, given that the programme was supposed to help young Humans. There is an interesting moment when Da'an and Zo'or finally face-off, instead of tiptoeing around each other as they have been up until now. Zo'or sneeringly suggests that Da'an should complain to the Synod. Poor Da'an knows well that the Synod is continuing with a policy of ignoring Zo'or's worst excesses in the hope that something good will come out of it for the Taelon race. Complaining would not help at all. I do believe it is at this point that Da'an finally realises how impotent he is, regarding being able to protect Humans. An ironic moment really.

Liam and Amanda infiltrate the Volunteers, using the portals to find out where the kid soldiers are being sent. When they land on what looks like the Mothership, Liam looks out of a window and realises that they are in a galaxy far, far away. (Sorry.) A little more probing reveals a corridor full of occupied body bags. As fast as the teenagers are being sent to a strange planet to fight a race of beings they have never encountered before, as many of them are returning in the body bags. Many of the bodies are horribly burned.

There's the usual chase around the corridors; Julia joins in the fun as Liam and Amanda attempt to scupper the portal system. Sadly, Amanda is killed. A pity really as it would have nice to have seen her survive and join Julia's Liberation cell. But the cause needs a sacrifice and Amanda is it. At the end, another nail is hammered into the coffin of Da'an and Liam's friendship. Whatever else Da'an may be, he is a Taelon.