In a knot of stars called the Octant, superior intelligence androids created Earth's descendants with seeds they carried through space. Genetic engineering produced people with improved intelligence and longevity, but it could not purge the worst human traits. Humans mar the android paradise with corruption and greed. The Octant Police Service tries to control crime on the seven worlds of the Octant and the space between them. Straight out of school, Buzz Cooper joins the OPS to try to set the worlds right. Is it an impossible task?