Captain Nick Moss of the stellar freighter Newport has been sent to engage the Astro Space Station in order to exchange all of the original ground crew members living and working on the planet's surface for the past nine months. Unfortunately, shuttle problems force the decision to use five of the Newport's 15 escape pods-one of which crashes and burns on the planet's surface, with no apparent survivors.
On the journey home, Moss learns of strange creatures that populate Astro's surface; that three crew members have perished under suspicious circumstances; that a dozen Neanderthals (Astro Natives) have apparently been kidnapped and smuggled on board the Newport by Military Police Officer, Gustov Pavlich (and possibly other rogue officers) and that giant, vicious, fanged-and hungry-giant centipedes have wormed their way on board with the vegetation, and now inhabit the ship. Around every corner lies a danger.