Bryla Mace has spent her first sixteen years of life living in a small cabin in the southwest region of the Great Basin Desert of Utah. She lives there with her adopted grandpa, Marvin Mace, and a Native American friend named Kirk Stony. On her twelfth birthday, Bryla discovers that she has incredible powers of nature. She is able to do such things as bring forth water from dry sand.

At the same time, a scientist by the name of Edward Madsen has made a major breakthrough. He has discovered that there are no longer three forms of matter, now instead of just liquid, solids, and gas there is spirit matter. Madsen uses this new discovery to create a brain (named Strandnet) for the Earth. The Earth becomes sentient. In the process Madsen learns that the Earth has created her own child . . . a child that could destroy him and all his work. Madsen will do anything to find Bryla and force her to become evil or be killed.