In the wake of a terrifying awakening, the refugees of sleeper ship Raphael find themselves strewn across an island, far from their intended landing zone. The planet Demeter proves at once fascinating and deadly as Captain Kimura struggles to recover supplies scattered by the crash while reuniting the survivors-both military and civilian-in order to protect them from nature, and each other... The revelation that Raphael has been destroyed leaves the crews of Michael and Gabriel at each others throats. In the face of a near war between the vessels, Lieutenant Owens desperately works to repair the rift between the commanders. His success may hold the key to saving the mission. As he races to avert a meltdown, Darius comes to realize that the consequences of failure are too great to consider... Cal McLaughlin awakens brittle, having been weakened by decades of nightmares. In spite of his hardships the young man is determined to try to make himself useful once more. His condition rouses distrust in many, and a fateful outburst at an inopportune moment leaves the entire outcome of the mission in jeopardy...