Captain Cirilo Webster is a loyal officer of the Santiago Corporation, the multistellar megacorporation that controls all travel between the Seventy-Seven human colonies. Finally given command of his first interstellar freighter, he is determined to do well by both his crew and his employers—but nothing is ever that simple. His crew is used to Captains passing through on their way to better ships. The Company’s policies have made more enemies than he can count. Their mission is unusual and the client might be lying to him. And if all of that wasn’t enough? One of the cyborgs his ship uses for security is starting to do things like read encyclopedias for fun.