On his 75th birthday, John Perry visited his wife's grave, and joined the army. Humans have made it to the stars, and have colonized many planets, but colonization is strictly controlled. Life outside of Earth is still a mystery, even to the governments of Earth. The only way to see what's out there is to sign up to protect the colonies. And you can't enlist until age 75. This is the choice John Perry has made. He couldn't have imagined what life in the Colonial Defense Force would be like. It is the stuff of dreams. And nightmares.