The year is 2050 and the Star Runner is two years into its 90 year voyage; a voyage that will take them to the Silver Sun. Frozen in the hold is the precious cargo of 550 frozen New Settlers, waiting to colonise the new planet. After encountering a solar fog, the sensors on the Star Runner pick up a non human entity. Is it an alien? A major computer glitch threatens the entire mission.

After a computer crisis, the crew decide to reanimate one of the frozen New Settlers to check for damage. Cyriax ends the debate among the crew about which person will be chosen but Degenhardt has his own ideas on who that will be. Pancha's isolation fom the ship's computer system has unexpected consequences.