Humanity's ever present desires to go to space have always been at edge with the paradox of being known. So comfortable in our corner of the universe and our relative anonymity that we'd be changed by the arrival of some outside force. Destroyed or perhaps worse. The grand paradox comes to a head for humanity in the early 2030's when an alien species finally arrives after picking up the radio frequency of Voyager II. They're called the Galactic Governmental Compact, and they've come to help humanity overcome Earth and become one with the solar system. In this time of great social upheaval, one man rises to the top.

His name is Marcus Penwald, nothing more than a assistant manager at a shipping company in Bel Air, Maryland. He's a man who never expected to be doing anything exciting in his life and had just become content with that reality when this shake up occurred. Both him and his company are propelled into the spotlight, and he's given the chance of a lifetime to become humanity's pioneering spaceship captains. Will he take it? Crack under the stress? And what will he see on his adventures in the stars?