Vic Shown's plans to start a new life in the outer space colonies are violently shattered when he gets caught in the crossfire between ragtag rebels and government forces. In order to survive, Vic is forced to fight on the side of the rebels against the Theran Union's overwhelming military power. In the midst of this desperate struggle, a strange container called the Cage, which may hold the key to winning the war, is calling out with a forlorn cry that only Vic can hear: "Are you there?"