2018's Vaxis 1: Unheavenly Creatures debuted a new five-part arc in the Amory Wars saga, beginning the story of new characters Nia ("Sister Spider") and Nostrand ("Creature"), incarcerated within the prison planet known as the Dark Sentencer by the shadowy Five Houses of the Star Supremacy empire. They valiantly struggle to secure the safety of their unborn son, Vaxis, who even in vitro is a guiding presence to his parents. The more economical Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind finds Nia and Nostrand years later, on the run from their tyrannical overlords with Vaxis; he is locked inside his own mind and may have autism. These 13 episodic songs are uncommonly brief and tight. They careen across emotionally wrought prog, indie rock, punk, post-punk, and more. Ultimately, Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind offers fresh, wildly creative terrain to mine as the Amory Wars saga continues growing.