Despite the development of a faster-than-light drive, Earth's space programhas been in the doldrums for centuries, as has the Earth itself. Hyperspacebeing impossible to navigate without beacons at which to aim, there is noalternative but to wait for vessels sent out at sub-light speed decadespreviously to find somewhere worth going. Unfortunately, when one finallydoes, it doesn't take long for political conflicts to materialize over theexploitation of the few seemingly-Earthlike world in question. When an entiresurvey team dies, the problems intensify. Lee Caretta is the man most likelyto solve the problem, if his conflict-ridden employers will let him, if hecan keep his tendency to suffer unexplained blackouts under control, and ifthe world really is sufficiently Earthlike not to be deadly to all who investigate. And then the humans begin dying!