In the far-flung future of 'Schild's Ladder,' where humans and machine intelligences have merged, the boundaries of physical reality are tested. Cass, a human physicist, discovers the Sarumpaet Rules, the fundamentals of space-time structure, might not be the only laws at play. In a daring experiment, Cass creates a novo-vacuum that begins to expand at half light-speed, consuming systems in its wake. This phenomenon divides scientists into Preservationists, who seek to destroy it, and Yielders, who wish to study it, with Tchicaya identifying with the latter. Joined by his childhood love, Mariama, a fervent Preservationist, Tchicaya navigates ideological rifts and personal conflict as the void's mysterious expansion reveals the potential for unfathomable life forms. As the void continues to grow, engulfing worlds, Tchicaya and his colleagues encounter both marvels and perils that could reshape their understanding of existence.