Tens of Billions are transfixed by the Halifax Zone—an unknown space shrouded by an uncharted nebula. The Sapien Republic, a loose fabric draped over the newly spacefaring human race, has stopped the flow of people and information through the Halifax Nebula; this has only magnified the public's curiosity. Massive silent freighters pass in and out of the HZ under government contract and supervision, but where the money comes from continues to remain a mystery. Brandon Cailan is a man passed over by humankind’s march to colonize the galaxy. Robert Thade is the optimist that Brandon used to be, young and excited about everything just out of sight. Both men dream of more meaning beyond the horizon, and with the Republic standing in the way the Halifax Zone seems like the place to find it. We follow these characters as they decide where their places lie in this part of humanity's story.