Synopsis: Jericho Jones is a xenoarchaeologist who studies a long dead alien race, the Argornians. After a humiliating and career-destroying encounter with the media, he begins a self-imposed exile in his starship, the Carolina, on a quest to find the lost Argornian fortress that will prove he was correct all along and hopefully resurrect his shattered career. After two years, he and the ship's acerbic AI, Alfred, find a planet with intriguing signs of a past civilization. Piloting a shuttle to the planet's surface to investigate, Jericho finds his ship snatched by alien technology and deposited inside a humongous hangar. From the state of repair, Jericho realizes whoever built this outpost deserted it long ago. Through incredible circumstance, Jericho is soon joined by his ex-flame, Jessica, who left him two years ago during his disgrace. She had been running from pirates and detected Jericho's ship and flew there in hopes of rescue. Trapped inside, the two must find a way to escape the trap in which they find themselves before they run out of food and water. They also need to find out who built the fortress: Was it the Argornians or is there some other alien race no one has encountered before?