The adventure begins in 2008 with Dan Russell, the protagonist, who has served as a United States Air Force F-16 pilot for ten years. He is offered a position in the top-secret space command and given one week to decide whether to accept this three-year commitment. Due to its highly classified nature, he has little information on which to base his decision. Despite his concerns, he accepts the offer, drawn by the chance to fly a technologically advanced spacecraft.