Having returned to Arkadia, Spartakus decides that the only to find the secret of the auracite is to go to Arkshag's prison camp, even if it means he can never return. Arkana tries to stop him, but Arkshag prevents her from reaching him in time. Inside the camp, Spartakus discovers the secrets of the oracle and his wristguard.
The travelers investigate the stratum where the People of the Deep mysteriously vanished long ago. To help Tehrig stay on course in this area, which has magnetic disturbances, they create a fake competitor to FIPIRATE, tricking the pirates into increasing their broadcast signal strength. Of course it also causes the pirates to put on a huge impromptu concert for all the rogues of the strata.
When the pirates capture just about everyone on the seas, the group find themselves prisoners in the hold of the pirates' ship. Meanwhile, Bic and Bac have to deal with being forced to work as Massmedia's musicians and trying to recover Spartakus' wristguard from the pirates' casino, all while trying to avoid nasty pickpockets.