Destiny meets the Starship Aelita . . . A remarkable journey across the galaxy begins in 2037 as Earth emerges from a ruinous decade of war and terror. There is a widespread shortage of energy and a surge in global warming. And even while at peace, old loyalties and animosities between countries rack the political landscape. The first manned mission to Mars in the Starship Aelita--a technological marvel commanded by the heroic but deeply flawed Captain Adam Sietzer--proposes to further reunify the world and lead the way into a harmonious and robust future. But then an unnerving string of events, including sabotage, an attempted murder, and the emergence of the first sentient machine, challenges the crew to look within themselves for the courage and wisdom to survive. Enormous sacrifices are made until their path to self-discovery is joined to the interplanetary quest for knowledge.The Astral Imperative: To find the source, to traverse the heavens, and penetrate the mind of God.