In the dystopic future of Toward the Terra, a battered humanity has abandoned its ecologically devastated homeworld and relinquished control to computers. All new humans are spawned in test tubes, delivered to randomly selected couples, and then raised to age 14. On their "Waking Day," theyre taken to space stations where their memories are erased and they become blank slates suitable for training as good, obedient citizens.

But sometimes a Waking child develops psychic powers. These psychics, called Mu, can fight off mental conditioning and are considered a threat to the reverentially praised "SD System," which rules human life. If they can escape summary execution--not likely, since Mu usually have weak or damaged bodies to balance out their overdeveloped brains--they may come to live in a community apart from regular humans. The Mu, unlike normals, are aware they arent living on Earth, and they long to return "home."

Jomy Shin, a 14-year-old who has no idea hes about to be hunted by humans and embraced by the Mu, is an exception to the rule. He has a strong young body as well as a strong young mind, and despite his horror and loathing of the Mu, he becomes their chosen leader. Theyll certainly need someone of his mental and physical power to combat humanitys new leader, an exceptional boy who is controlled by humankinds computers, but still remains independent enough to ask the significant question, "If the computers system is perfect and in complete control, why is it still permitting Mu to be born?"