The Catalyst

"The world needs heroes, but it has only us. So we''ll have to make the best of it-and so will the world."

Jonas Porter has a point. But Paul Reid isn''t certain that his mentor is telling the truth about his plans. Because this time around, there''s more than one world at stake if the heroes fail.

Never mind that it''s not clear who the heroes are, and trust is at a premium.

Jeremy Johns wonders how much to believe the journal that his vanished friend Abel left behind. Audra Farrelly needs to convince herself that she and Porter are fighting the same battle the same way. Charlene Moseley must have faith that Quarry, her team''s former adversary, wants to help them now.

The mysterious and powerful Apalala-Aidan has informed Zach Brucker that he''s not his friend, so Zach knows where they stand. But Zach''s mother, Annie, can no longer deny that her son is beginning to worry her.

The Dharma Rangers are the stewards of the nuclear weapons that will determine whether multiple realms will survive. And it doesn''t matter who the Dharmas trust-because it seems everyone has control of their missiles but them.

The truth is false; allies are enemies; and the only way to save all of existence is to destroy it.

There are no guarantees. Nor have there ever been.

Not in The Commons.