Winner, Literary Titan Book Award (2023)

Gold Medal, FAPA President's Book Award (2023)

When crews on the first two interstellar missions confront the same confounding mystery, their dispute over what it means could alter the trajectory of the entire human race.

Thirty years after the last war, in a world of plentiful energy, Lunar and Mars bases, and a global federation of nations, an international crew of exceptional men and women sets out to explore the closest potentially habitable planet in the Alpha Centauri star system.

The stakes become elevated by the unexplained presence of another ship from the solar system, a ship with weapons. When the two crews interpret a perplexing find on the surface quite differently, it brings them into a conflict that threatens to lead to a nuclear showdown with consequences more far-reaching than they could have imagined.

They may be over 4 light years from Earth, but the implications could not hit closer to home.

And they are too far away for two-way communication.

More than just another space saga, this wild, hard sci-fi ensemble drama (with a touch of romance) digs deep into human nature and the animal instinct that keeps us from elevating our existence. The only question left: is humanity doomed to repeat its mistakes, or are we ready to take the next crucial step?

FEATURING an extensive Glossary Of Scientific Terms

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.