Commander Riker of Stark Trek: The Next Generation is sent to a terraforming planet, only to discover a horrifying secret.

Under the best circumstances, terraforming is a tough, dangerous task that pits the hardiest of pioneers against an unforgiving environment. When the terraformers on the planet Paradise fall behind schedule, Commander Riker is given temporary leave from the USS Enterprise and sent to assist.

Riker’s replacement on the Enterprise is a volatile officer named Stone whose behavior soon raises questions about his ability and his judgment. Meanwhile, Riker has become enmeshed in a life and struggle with Paradise’s brutal landscape. However, he soon learns that not all of the planet’s dangers are natural in origin when he comes face to face with Paradise’s most hideous secret.