Murkor's barren surface, stifling heat, and noxious atmosphere rendered it a barely habitable hellhole. But even its outlying location on the Spiral Arm could not deter Earth's two opposing superpowers, Union Latino and Coalition, from establishing planetary bases-and pursuing their mutually destructive animosity. At great sacrifice, Coalition created Zenith, an opulent mining facility where a lucrative mineral is processed. That is until an unforeseen obstacle puts a sudden end to operations-and dreams of riches for thirty disgruntled and increasingly belligerent mining techs. Nearby lies Nadir, Union Latino's deteriorating outpost. It is here that Comandante Garcia and his beleaguered crew must weigh the consequences of their only advantage: They control most of the planet's subterranean water reserves. The one commodity that Zenith desperately lacks. Which is why Commander Ellis, acting on Coalition's bidding, has arrived at Zenith. Her unwritten orders: Use any and all means necessary to seize the opposition's resources. This far from Earth, who would be able to assign cause or determine blame? Each commander ponders their next move. As tensions increase, there are accounts of something more disturbing. Thought to be devoid of sentient life, there are indications that an enigmatic entity haunts the planet. Are the colonists' alarming physical symptoms solely the product of human imagination? Or, as both sides begin to fear, they are not alone..."