Revolt on Luna

Morgenstern, a former historian and lunar prisoner, is tasked by the Psyter (later revealed to be Scanner Cloud) to retrieve Leande, a mentally shattered woman, from the depths of the Moon Dungeons. The Brown Plate, the lowest level, is home to the psychically damaged. Morgenstern navigates the treacherous tunnels, encountering screaming madmen and micro-cameras of the Gray Guards. He finds Leande, but her panicked reaction attracts the attention of Perchiner Gride, a former comrade driven mad by the Soul Divers, and other inmates. Morgenstern uses a Needler to subdue them and escapes with Leande.

Meanwhile, Llewellyn 709 and David terGorden (disguised as Ishmail Tout) are banished to Luna along with Angila Fraim and Sirdina Giccomo. They are transported to Lunaport and then to the Moon Dungeons. Evita Jaschini, the Cosmoral (commandant) of Lunaport, is in a secret relationship with the Psyter and is concerned about his presence among the new prisoners. She is also informed of a plan to transfer thousands of prisoners to Luna, straining the facilities.

Llewellyn and David awaken in the Moon Dungeons and are greeted by Morgenstern. They learn that Scanner Cloud is the leader of a prisoner revolt. Cloud reveals his plan to use Leande, a former computer technician, to disable Lunaport's central computer, Big Brother, and seize the MIDAS (ship), an interstellar spacecraft. Llewellyn and other Drivers enter Leande's mind to heal her, battling her inner demons. Leande succeeds in disrupting Big Brother.

The prisoners launch their revolt, overpowering the Gray Guards and seizing weapons and spacesuits. Evita Jaschini realizes the Psyter has betrayed her and that the prisoners are after the MIDAS (ship). She attempts to contact Valdec, but the prisoners' actions have crippled communications. Valdec, upon learning of the situation, decides to let the prisoners escape with the MIDAS (ship) to test its Kaiser Force drive, a dangerous technology. David, recognizing the danger of the Kaiser Force drive, attempts to warn the others, revealing his true identity as David terGorden. He leaves the MIDAS (ship) in a lifeboat. The MIDAS (ship) activates the Kaiser Force drive and enters Space II, a dangerous alternate dimension, with disastrous consequences. The ship is destroyed, and most of the crew are killed or transformed. Llewellyn survives, but the MIDAS (ship) is lost. Valdec considers the experiment a success despite the loss of the ship and its crew.