Recently graduated and now a junior astrogator, Ben Carson finds himself in a life-altering predicament after a single punch kills an irritating drunkard in Luna City. Fleeing to Venus in search of escape, he soon realizes that the memory of the dead mans face will relentlessly haunt him, shadowing his every breath. Will the roar of atomic engines drown out the voice of his guilt? Can the allure of alien worlds and boundless spaceways distract him from his torment? Upon arriving on Venus, Ben joins an underground movement, hoping to find solace and a new purpose, but his troubled conscience keeps him from fully committing to their cause. (Summary by James R. Hedrick with quotes in italics from the text)