Project Orion. It's a revolutionary space-based defense shield, only weeks away from deployment. Promising global protection from missile attack by rogue nations, Orion offers an "umbrella" of security to a terror-stricken world. But even the loftiest aims often conceal darker intentions. Behind closed doors, insiders maneuver to control the new superweapon with an agenda that places all mankind at risk.

When Angela Browning, an ambitious journalist, receives a mysterious computer disk from an anonymous source, she can't believe the information it contains: photos of ancient structures on the planet Mars. But after diligent research, Angela discovers that the images originated from the Mars Observer probe, a satellite declared "lost" over a decade before. Perhaps even more troubling than the artifacts themselves is the implication that somehow, somewhere in the corridors of power, it's been decided that the discovery of intelligent life on Mars must be suppressed.

Angela's quest for the truth eventually leads her to Jake Deaver, the commander of the last Apollo mission to the moon. Deaver, a maverick his whole career, may be the only one who can help her shed light on a conspiracy that reaches into the darkest corners of Washington politics. But the pair's investigation takes them dangerously close to Project Orion, and a powerful cabal determined to prevent anyone from jeopardizing their plans. Now Jake and Angela must face the stark reality that pursuing the truth may put both their lives at risk. And the choice they make will change the world forever.