Synopsis: Cormac is a legendary Earth Central Security agent, the James Bond of a wealthy future where "runcibles" (matter transmitters controlled by AIs) allow interstellar travel throughout the settled worlds of the Polity. Unfortunately Cormac is nearly burnt out, "gridlinked" to the AI net so long that his humanity has begun to drain away. Now he must do without as he's sent to investigate the unique runcible disaster that's wiped out the entire human colony on planet Samarkand. With the runcible out, Cormac must get there by ship, but he has incurred the wrath of a vicious psychopath who now follows him across the galaxy with a psychotic killer android in tow. And deep beneath Samarkand's surface there are buried mysteries, fiercely guarded.