Hundreds of years in the future from our modern day, humans have not only colonized other parts of our solar system, they’ve ventured beyond the Milky Way to explore the uncharted depths of the universe in search of other worlds and civilizations to become part of the galactic community. It’s no longer the question of whether there’s life beyond Earth but where and how far away are our intergalactic neighbors. The human race is now one of many developed civilizations engaged in universal cooperation. Now we need to make sure we don’t piss anyone off.

As part of the governmental agency known as the Federated Galactic Integration Administration (FGIA), the Galactic Explorers program employs thousands of young Earthlings with a passion for venturing into the unknown to chart new worlds and find unique people to invite into the ever-expanding sphere of universal knowledge. They’re the new breed of human pioneers. And their frontier is as endless as space itself.

But even centuries of research and experience can’t spare Explorers from the harsh realities of space travel. There’s a lot of inhospitable territory out there, and not all civilizations are willing to cooperate, not to mention the isolation and loneliness of solitary exploration. Added to aging technology, political tensions, and the necessity for pilots who’ve barely reached adulthood to make split-second life or death decisions, the Explorer program isn’t all fun light-speed jumps and exciting discoveries. It’s a commitment that takes a heavy toll on those who choose to take the risks. And sometimes, the danger is too great to escape.

Some of them will thrive. Some of them will fail. And some will simply learn to cope with a life determined to break them. But all of them will discover the parts of themselves that matter, the pieces that make them unique, the best of humanity scattered among the stars.

They’ve spent their lives training to explore the stars and now it’s time to take their space cruisers out to discover the universe. But before Ethan and Ren leave Earth behind, they want one last epic adventure together in the chaos and beauty of Japan. It was supposed to be everything they dreamed of. But lifelong dreams have become torment, and neither knows how to escape the inevitable.

Traversing the black void, a lonely space cruiser searches for signs of life. The pilot’s mission is to plot new routes and find new worlds to study, to advance humanity’s interstellar progress. But all Ren’s found is dead space and the only progress he’s made is adding plasma vapor to the universal ephemera. Until he crashes on an unknown planet and discovers space isn’t as dead as he thought.

The mission was simple—race to the mayday coordinates, rescue his best friend, and bring him home. But, like so much in Ethan’s life, simplicity is a luxury beyond his reach. He’s long been used to the untethered insanity of life as an Explorer, but never has he failed this badly. Never has the soulless void taken his credibility and someone he loved. Space had never broken him. Until now.

For the most festive time of the Earth year, Ethan brings Liam home to Colorado to spend the holidays with the Rykers. It’s a chance to relax, soak up Christmas cheer, and include Liam in family tradition among the snow-capped peaks of Breckenridge. When real-world demands intrude, though, their perfect vacation isn’t the only thing on the line as the past threatens to derail their future.

Exploring the universe at the helm of a flashy ship was supposed to be the dream, but now it’s an ongoing nightmare for Noa. All but exiled from his loved ones, he’s too far away when they need him most. The guilt and stress has finally broken him, though, and he’s abandoned his mission to go home. But running from one horror sends him crashing into a new one. And this time, he can’t escape.

It’s only a transport, an ordinary escort mission to a normal, ally world. Routine escapes into the ether, though, when Caz sympathizes with his empyrean passenger’s harrowing circumstances. He’s a professional diplomat, ordered to complete the negotiated handoff and stay out of political traps. But explorers’ spirits aren’t so easily tamed. And Caz has always been fearlessly independent.