When the twenty-fourth-century arrival of human colonists in a faraway system unleashes a race of aliens formerly imprisoned within a giant force field, the aliens, having fought for centuries over scarce resources, turn to human space to fulfill their wants. By the author of The Reality Dysfunction and Fallen Dragon. Reprint An imaginative and stunning tale of the perfect future threatened . . . a book of epic proportions not unlike Frank Herbert's Dune or Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy.-SFRevuThe year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars, contains more than six hundred worlds interconnected by a web of transport tunnels known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: over one thousand light-years away, a star . . . disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, the Second Chance, a faster-than-light starship commanded by Wilson Kime, a five-times-rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat.Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, led by Bradley Johansson. Shortly after the journey begins, Kime wonders if the crew of the Second Chance has been infiltrated. But soon enough he will have other worries. Halfway across the galaxy, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery whose unleashing will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth . . . and humanity itself.Should be high on everyone's reading list . . . You won't be able to put it down.-Nancy Pearl, NPRRecommended . . . A large cast of characters, each with his own story, brings depth and variety to this far-future saga.-Library Journal