For eons, sandstorms have swept the barren, desolate landscape of the red planet. For centuries, Mars has beckoned to mankind to come and conquer its hostile climate. Now, in the year 2026, a group of one hundred colonists is about to fulfill that destiny.

John Boone, Maya Toitovna, Frank Chalmers and Arkady Bogdanov lead a mission whose ultimate goal is to give Mars an Earth-like atmosphere. They will place giant satellite mirrors in Martian orbit to reflect light to the planet's surface. Black dust sprinkled on the polar caps will capture warmth and melt the ice. And massive tunnels, kilometers in depth, will be drilled into the Martian mantle to create stupendous vents for hot gases. Against this backdrop of epic upheaval, rivalries, loves and friendships will form and fall to pieces - for there are those who will fight to the death to prevent Mars from ever being changed.