Morn Hyland has survived a terrible ordeal at the hands of one pirate, only to find herself trapped in the ship of another. Nick Succorso rescued her from Angus Thermopyle, but for what purpose? He and his crew are all illegals, and she is a cop—a cop with gap-sickness. Just having her on board puts all their lives at risk. But Nick knows that Morn possessess something that could be of value to them all—and he has every intention of exploiting it.

On the long and hazardous voyage to forbidden space, Morn will hear shocking rumors of high-level corruption, and even more alarming tales of a shadowy alien life force—the Amnion—and their all-consuming mutagens. All too soon, the bizarre stories will become terrifying reality.