She expects to profit from the mineral rights, but it turns out that the "comet" is actually an interstellar cycler, a ship that travels in a light-years length orbit, at relativistic speeds (85% c) carrying cargo and passengers between the Halo Worlds, planets that orbit brown dwarf stars.
Michael Bequith, a NeoShinto monk and aide to Dr. Laurent Herat, an exobiologist, are commandeered by Rear Admiral Crisler of the Rights Economy to join a joint expedition back to the Envy.
They are also interested because writing on the craft is the script of an alien species, the Lasa, who have supposedly been extinct for the last two billion years.
The translation has grave consequences since it implies that the weapon of the Chicxulub, an ancient race that sent out waves of self-replicating machines to wipe out potential competitors, has survived.
Rue, Michael, Dr Herat and Barents (a Rebel) escape in a submarine, but the attackers destroy the control computer just as they dive.
Michael passes preparation time for the trip by exploring abandoned ice tunnels on the planet with Barents.
A message from a loyal member of the Envy's crew arrives, stating that Crisler is planning a dangerous maneuver that will cut three months off his travel time.
Rue takes drastic measures and shanghais Michael on the voyage, a new technology that allows a fleet of 15 small interceptor ships to enter FTL from inside the atmosphere of a brown dwarf.
Schroeder recycles Friedrich Nietzsche's myth of the eternal return to critique all organized religion with a plot device he describes as the Supreme Meme.
In Permanence, Schroeder envisions an interstellar cycler, a vehicle that would never slow down, instead using Lorentz force turning to curve its trajectory in a circle, an idea considered by P.C.
[1] The idea is that the life support for an interstellar vehicle wouldn't have to be accelerated, only the payload, allowing more to be carried for a given energy budget.
Roberta Johnson in her review for Booklist said "by turns exciting and thoughtful, pitiless and romantic, Schroeder's excellent novel is the best kind of coming-of-age novel, one that seizes the imagination and the emotions.
"[2] Booklist praised the novel saying "once again, the plot—of which the foregoing is barely a hint—arises organically from the backdrop and characters: thoughtful, well-informed, insightful work, with a sharp yet subtle political subcontext, catapulting Schroeder into SF's front rank.
"[3] The Library Journal said "the author of Ventus showcases his gift for panoramic storytelling in this story of a young woman's struggle to find her place in a world where trust and friendship are rare treasures.
"[4] Christine C. Menefee in her review for School Library Journal said "this suspenseful, complex tale asks many intriguing questions and illustrates more scientific principles than a semester of science labs.
Some readers might not quite follow all of the rapid twists and turns, but they will want to hang on to reach the story's satisfying conclusion, where a thoughtful solution emerges amid plenty of fireworks.