Lt. Henry has tracked the "father" of the Alien forces -- a rogue colonel pursuing a mad dream of cosmic purity -- to a subspace communications relay, and plans an all-out assault against him! His command is weak, the Marines around him are planning mutiny at the first opportunity, and now the captive "bugman" is beginning to mutate into something that will shock the entire crew! Lt. Joseph Henry has never taken the easy path, and this time it just may kill him.