The job is to be the final orders for black ops Captain Abraham Idaho Cleveland (referred to as "Ida"), as he is going to retire shortly after the task is completed.

His arrival on Coast City sparks the ire of the crew members Carter and DeJohn, who are unwilling to believe that Ida was capable of the feat – especially since there was no news reporting about the event.

At the same time several strange occurrences are happening on board the Coast City and the psi-marine Serra has been frequently hearing the voice of her dead grandmother calling to her.

Things come to a breaking point when Zia Hollywood, a space profiteer and celebrity, boards the ship to refuel and rest before she and her crew move on.

[4][5][6] SFX wrote that the book was "studded with memorable imagery" and that "although it’s clear to the reader from early on that certain things are not what they seem, Christopher keeps you guessing concerning how the major plot elements link up.