Into this maelstrom steps Jennifer Strand, microbiologist and daughter of Oscar Strand who authored the Destiny Hypothesis, and Boone Dalton, rebuilt human and reluctant prot¿ªg¿ª of the Arch Pioneers Calvin Ritsch. They board the miles-long cruise ship, COPERNICUS, expecting an uneventful voyage to Mars. Instead, they encounter assassins and saboteurs with no escape, and it's unlikely they will survive the experience.