The year is 3050.
River Goldstein, inventor of the Galactic Highway and a brilliant scientist is far from extroverted; the only person that could be deemed a friend is his childhood companion, Stuart Slate. So when Stuart, a military fighter pilot, is shot down amidst seemingly normal circumstances in the line of duty, River is the only one to question the occurrence, having seen his friend just prior to his tragic death.
But River's probing and unwillingness to accept the official findings uncovers a hidden evil, setting in motion a frantic and deadly chase across the solar system....