Veteran of the Endless War, William Mandella leads a rather dull life. The citizens of Earth have evolved in unexpected ways and have taken control of their new home, keeping the independent human inhabitants alive only because of their diverse gene pool. But Mandella and her comrades don't want to live this way. So they decide to steal a spaceship and flee to the stars, to start humanity anew. However, something goes wrong and they have to return home to suspended animation twenty-five years later, which is quite risky. The planet has aged centuries during their journey, and the crew wonder what new world awaits them upon their arrival.