One Berserker computer has suddenly developed a tactical strategy unlike anything the human opposition has ever seen. Shiva, like the Hindu god of destruction after which it was named, annihilates entire colonies with the help of its fiendish subordinates. It's up to Commander Claire Normandy to prepare for Shiva's attacks, with the help of Pilot Harry Silver. When the Berserkers approach, a decision is made to destroy the destroyer, whatever the cost. But will Normandy and Silver be ready to discover that something wholly unexpected yet eerily familiar lies gnarled within the steel?