LiMing has been keeping a deep secret from her crewmates on the Excelsior. She has seen the artificial intelligence code and know the consequences if it is installed again. But her brother desperately needs her help. So she must choose between family and her crew. Captain Thomas Major is shaken from a deep slumber and instantly senses that something is profoundly wrong. His suspicions are confirmed when he finds LiMing hiding that mysterious code. He agrees to transport LiMing to an enigmatic orbital hospital where he completely embarrasses himself before the alluring Heather Fairfield. But when he learns the truth about LiMing's brother, the horrors of the war come back with a vengeance. He knows that he must act to stop the spread of the perils again. He will have to make the ultimate decision of life and death. But what about the fate of LiMing and her brother?