The last line of defence in a clandestine war, SHADO is all that stands between humanity and a force of alien invaders – and leading that fight is the uncompromising Ed Straker, commanding Earth' s defenders around the clock. But what happens when the man at the top is pushed too far? After an experiment goes wrong, Straker awakens from a coma with missing memories and strange hallucinations that threaten his grip on reality – but is it the result of alien interference, or has the commander' s iron will finally cracked? Facing danger from within and without, Straker must find the truth... even if it kills him.