Half Navajo American Jamie Waterman is a geologist whose dream comes true when he is selected for the first landing team on Mars. He endures the rigors of training, the personality conflicts and political intrigues, as well as the dangers of traveling over 100 million kilometers in space. Once the international crew lands on Mars, they discover they must battle not only the alien land they have invaded but earthbound bureaucrats as well. As they head toward a chasm that is ten times larger than the Grand Canyon, the twenty-five astronauts come face-to-face with the most shocking discovery of all.