Her code name is Sparta. Her beauty veils a mysterious past and abilities far surpassing those of a normal human. For she is more than human: Sparta is the first product of advanced biotech engineering. But now she is little more than a cipher to herself -- crucial memories of the past three years are locked away in the dark recesses of her brain.

Who is she, really? Why is she here on Earth now? What had she been doing in space? What was her job at Venus Station, and what did a crippled space freighter called Star Queen have to do with her current condition? As sparta desperately searches for answers, she realizes she must unlock the mystery of who she is before she can solve the greater mysteries of what she has done, what has been done to her, and why!

This tautly paced story brings together the genius of Arthur C. Clarke and the talents of distinguished science-fiction writer Paul Preuss, whose work has been described by The New York Times as "Lively, intelligent . . . hard-driving".