When Woody Pearsall returns to Earth after traveling eight months in space at many times the speed of light, he finds a world in which familiar people do not recognize him
In a future world where fear and suspicion reign and disease limits population growth, the Mark Twos, a remarkably adaptable breed of man able to survive when normal humans cannot, emerge as a new kind of humanity
Living a desperate life in the Total Welfare Center, the orphan Rissa discovers she has won the lottery and takes a chance to shape her own destiny. After she escapes from Earth with the help of a space pirate who may be more trouble than she expected, she soon discovers that together they might have a chance to shape Earth's destiny as well.