The Strategic Extra-Earth Development Site is a specialized group of scientists and engineers who combine their talents to save humanity from a dystopian Earth. They build a starship and depart for Saturn's moon, Titan, where the colony is established. A Mayday transmission is received from the Russian starship, Red Star 1. A team is sent to investigate. They find one survivor, the captain. The Chinese Mars base attacks and the colony is infected by the lethal Mars Virus. The Early Ones intervene. An astrophysicist in the colony becomes the first transhuman and departs Titan to search for an exoplanet. While he is away, a new species is discovered. Before returning to Titan, the transhuman visits Earth to see what became of humanity. He brings something back that will change their lives forever.