"Having been haunted by the past and enslaved by the present, James Griffin-Mars is taking control of the future, one in which Earth is a toxic, sparsley inhabited wasteland- the perfect place for a fugitive ex-chronman to hide from authorities. James has enemies. They include the full military might of a benighted solar system ruled by corporate greed and a desperate fear of what James will do next. At the forefront of their efforts to stop him is Kuo, the ruthless security chief who wants Jame's head on a pike and will stop at nothing to obtain it."