In the calm before the storm, Commander Sutton prepares to return to Canandaigua to shut down the science expedition. She doesn't know that the Mercury is headed into a trap. Outgunned, they are forced to make a hard decision. Sutton leaves Kenik Duncan on the planet with little chance of survival. In a desperate retreat, the Mercury races to Cholula Station, their only hope. When they return to Canandaigua, will they find Kenik? More importantly, can he be salvaged?
In this culmination of Kenik Duncan's epic journey, it will take more than strength and force of will for Kenik to rejoin the living. It will take dedicated friends, a medical miracle, and a highly insightful synthiant who becomes more than she dared dream.