Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

The Starfarer and its attendant exploration craft Chi have transitioned from Earth space to Tau Ceti III using the vibration of cosmic strings in order to track an alien signal. The ship had been fired upon just before transition and a nuclear warhead went along for the ride and entered Tau Ceti space first. This may have unsettled the senders of the signal because when the Starfarer arrives there is no sign of any alien presence on the moon of Tau Ceti III’s planet which they call Sea. A dome on the moon self-destructs upon entry and they are left with just a hint of where the alien ship might have transitioned to. Compounding the problems is the fact that the shipboard AI - Arachne - had been sabotaged on their first transition and it is now almost certain that the saboteur is still on board. As the Starfarer transitions into Sirius space to find a reception committee of humans, a second sabotage occurs. The possibility of stranding seems more likely as the cosmic strings are being withdrawn from the system and a contact seems inevitable. Vonda McIntyre has continued her saga and while this book can be enjoyed without reading the first I would recommend you read Starfarers first.