Serviced by a crew of 22, the Starship Aspiration transports 527 colonists and sufficient supplies to plant a new colony on the garden planet Optimism, which is located at the fringe of human exploration in a star system 53 light years from Earth. Because a starship can't land on a planet, the Aspiration conveys a shuttle, the Hope, to ferry colonists and cargo to Optimism.

An unexpected nova misdirects the Starship Aspiration to a star system 200 light years from the nearest jump gate. Stranded in an unexplored system, the crew and colonists of the Aspiration have no way to return to civilization and no hope of rescue....