Daniel Harris is taken on a birthday flight by a friend and finds himself declared dead and a prisoner in a secret underground city where 24,000 others are being tested by something called The Core. He falls in love with another prisoner Dr Helena Strauss and together they attempt to escape, but the Core tracks their every more. Why is a twelve year old boy actually centuries older than he seems? Who is Helena Strauss and why has she deceived Daniel? For what reason has the Core designated him one of three human keys destined to open the Gate and decide humanity’s future.