Project Icarus is established to colonize mankind throughout the universe by means of a technological breakthrough-a matter transfer technique developed through Russian and U.S. cooperation. But the instruments must be transported to new planets by conventional means. Kadakas IV, a planet in the Alpha Centauri system, is chosen as the destination for the first transport ship. Commander Scott Armstrong and his fifteen-person crew have one mission-to survive for six months on Kadakas IV. Because of the risk of some unknown infection spreading to Earth, there will be no rescue in the highly likely event of bacterial contamination. Once on Kadakas IV, the crew begins to establish teleportation stations all over the planet with the aid of helicopters and ground vehicles. They also make contact with a large flying predator and a much larger but benign creature. But a strange illness befalls most of the crew. The ailment causes the crew members to slowly starve; even the thought of food sends them into violent, agonized vomiting. As they get closer to an abnormally hot spot on the surface of the planet, the disease gets worse. Will the crew survive to complete their mission, or will they succumb to the unexplainable illness?