Harry Silver has already had a lifetime of trouble from ordinary Berserkers, the automated killing machines programmed eons ago to denude the galaxy of life. Now when his own family is kidnapped, he faces a deviant machine, a good fit for some or all of the Galactic Dictionary's definitions of Rogue: (1) A deceitful, double-dealing evildoer...(4) A fierce elephant or stamodont that has been banished from the herd...(10) Having a peculiarly malevolent or unstable nature...(11) No longer loyal, affiliated, or recognized, and hence not governable or accountable...erring, apostate. - Galactic Dictionary of the Common Tongue. Ordinary Berserkers armed with weapons powerful enough to kill an entire planet were enough of a nightmare. What worse deviltry will a killing machine gone rogue attempt-and even if Silver can stop it, will he ever see his family alive again?