Humanity and its allies have survived a devastating war against a common, mysterious enemy. Now, on a space station called The Quay surrounded by the wreckage of destroyed ships, the disparate races have come together in a way many thought impossible. Currently enjoying an extended period of peacetime, the crew of the Quay is put on high alert after a smugglers' ship is attacked. A new and powerful enemy is searching for an incredibly valuable piece of space trash which could be used to construct something far more dangerous than a simple weapon: genetic material from the dawn of time, the key component to a device which can target and destroy specific races while leaving others untouched. Fearful that they may be on the cusp of a new war deadlier than any ever fought, the Quay's executive officer Bauwerji Crow must find and stop an enemy she knows nothing about, or else face the spectre of genocide on a galactic scale. --Provided by publisher.