From a Nebula award-winning author, a classic hard sci-fi fantasy of a maverick astronaut who goes against NASA'S command when he discovers alien artifacts. 2034. An indistinguishable sound is heard from the depths of space and one member of the search and survey team, Nigel, believes he knows its origins. Fifteen years earlier, he was the astronaut sent to implode a firey comet as it hurtled toward the Asian subcontinent. Once inside the fissure he made an unlikely discovery: an abandoned alien ship. Against his better judgment, Nigel carried out his mission, destroying the vessel—but not before clandestinely removing alien data and technology from on board. Now, as the team sets forth on a new adventure of discovery, Nigel's past will collide with the present, introducing him to wonders beyond human comprehension.