In this first installment we find Sally unhappily at work as UN space commissioner, buried in paperwork and struggling with bureaucrats. Earth is at war now with its first space colony, now hidden beyond the orbit of Jupiter, and everybody has a different opinion concerning which side was in the right. In the midst of this, Ian discovers a mysterious ship approaching the solar system from somewhere far away. And this ship appears to be from the future. The implications of how this will affect the war are too big to ignor, and Sally must decide whether Ian's suggested mission is brave or foolish. Either way, she will probably have to go.