"Ellis has struck gold: his old talents for mad ideas and nuanced tough talk melds with a new optimism, giving this story an emotional depth far beyond that of typical sci-fi."—PUBLISHERS WEEKLYWhen a space shuttle missing for a decade zooms back to Earth with seemingly alien modifications and a missing crew, three specialists cheated out of their dreams of spaceflight are the only ones who can unravel the mysteries behind the bizarre situation.