The Mirata lurches from its bay on the back of its powerful rocket booster, after the jolting of the separation ceases, you find yourself pondering the fate of the colony receding below you. With apprehension, the same apprehension you felt three hundred and twenty-two years earlier, you envision Marcus Tiberius Buendia, one of Sol's greatest leaders. "Mankind will venture out past its earthly bounds, and move into a future grander and more real than the total of its own written history." Buendia, the pre sident of the Unified Earth Space Council, has spoken these words to the people of the Sol System on the eve of launching of the Marathon.

During the daydream you barely notice the change to zero gravity or the instruments and lights signifying the rendezvous of the shuttle with the Marathon. But as a warning light goes on, and Durandal's voice comes over the communicator, you know something has gone terribly wrong, "Docking Bay One: Decompression completed. Mirata this is Durandal. Abort landing. Repeat. Abort landing." A faint chuckle. Then, "One minute to cabin decompression."

You fly in zero gravity towards the locker holding your battle armor. You haven't worn it since you had to hunt down some Chockisens which were harassing the work teams on the fringe of the colony, almost three years ago, but training is something that yo u never forget. It's funny, but you've always been the colony's trouble shooter. You're bigger and stronger, and a better shot. In games, you always scored the most points and looked the hero. And now, it looks as if you're heading right into the colony's biggest crisis since it was established seven years ago...