Before the time of warp drive starships whisking explorers between planets, humankind had to slog its way to the stars by the crude means of riding the Rip, creating a self-mending tear in space-time, light year by light year. This is the epic adventure of one such expedition to extend the boundaries of human civilization thru colonizing the moon of the second planet in the Chara star system. Along the way they face space pirates, internal sabotage, hostile aliens with their own dreams of destiny, and shortsighted politicians.