The year is 2179. The human race has expanded beyond the solar system, inhabiting planets around a dozen nearby stars. But space travel is slow and restricted, making control of these new planets from Earth difficult. Out of view of the homeworld, almost anything might be going on... Meanwhile, on Mars, a radical new government has its own plans for cutting the umbilical with Earth, and the game is playing could bring devastation to the solar system. Unfortunately, few outside of the red planet know the identity of the other players, let alone understand the rules of the game. Into this drama stumbles a scientist, a soldier and a spy from three different worlds. Each of these has a role to play in unraveling the Martian plot and saving millions of lives. It's just a shame that their opponents won't play fair...