In the centuries since the exodus from a dying earth, humanity has changed and grown. Survival meant treasuring the surviving strains of life. It demanded adaptation. Known space became a cosmos of neo-humans, gene-modified intelligent animals, and immense diversity. Centuries passed, and life slowly fought its way back from the brink of extinction... At the outer edge of known space, the salvage vessel Mud Puppy discovers clues to a lost cache of ancient technology. Artifacts from the near-mythical "Unity" government: the regime that oversaw the migration from Earth and the birth of whole new species of intelligent life. For a colourful crew of adventurers, the discovery leads to the quest of a lifetime. But to others, the lost technologies could change the balance of power in the Successor Kingdoms. But the ancient cache could be much more. It could be the gateway to encountering true alien life. The first encounter between thetr creatures born of Earth, and beings from alien worlds.