Note: Originally published as three separate stories. "Centaurus II" Astounding Science Fiction(1947), "Rogue Ship" Super-Science Stories(1950) & "The Expendables" IF Worlds of Science Fiction(1963). All three of these stories have been completely rewritten into this "Novel" form.

Synopsis: From the front flap of the Doubleday first edition: "Centaurus was the destination of the space ship The Hope of Man. It had been traveling through space for almost twenty years, and still nine years of flight remained before Centaurus would be reached. For many on board the craft earth had become a vague memory, while for others it was a mere dot in the vast starry reaches of space. Restlessness was evident everywhere; the people wanted to return to a place they knew was inhabited - not continue to an unknown where life was questionable. Mutiny seemed inevitable. Captain Lesbee knew that mutiny bred mutiny, but what was more vital was his knowledge of earth's possible obliteration. The one hope was Centaurus. Now more than ever, there could be no turning back. Order had to be maintained even at the price of human life. This is only the beginning of a dramatic and fascinating interspace voyage, where the greatest hazards are not the forces of an unknown scientific world, but man himself."