On the planet Nightshade, anyone can buy or sell Flex, the death-dealing drug, to take offworld but no-one is supposed to use it. Nevertheless, Flex addicts are a common sight in Riotmark, the planet's largest city. No-one comes to Nightshade for anything but Flex - except Benedict and his traveling companions, who believe there may be something even more interesting in the jungle - something Benedict has been searching for all his life. Benedict is a First Order Empath who never knows when another crippling seizure will strike and immobilise him. Ryker is an adventurer who loves to give orders that Benedict might not like to take. Renata is a beautiful woman who likes to live dangerously. And Silky is a fourteen year old Flex addict and the most important person in Benedict's world. Cover art by Geoff Taylor.