Nathan Spring is cajoled into applying for the new post of commanding the International Space Police. On his first trip out into space he meets David Theroux, who is suspicious about a spate of spacesuit failures.
Nathan's girlfriend Lee Jones is murdered by an unknown attacker who breaks into his home. Grief-stricken, he returns to Earth, leaving David to investigate a tragic accident out in space that has crippled a freighter on its way to Mars, dooming its crew to certain death.
Spring fires two Star Cops, Pal Kenzy and Kirk Hubble, for corruption. A terrorist organisation, the Black Hand Gang, has attacked a chemical plant and the Channel Tunnel using a computer worm. The Star Cops are warned of further attacks by a communications expert engaged in secret research on an outpost on the Moon.
As Spring attempts to persuade the sceptical Americans to allow him to open a Star Cops office on their space station, the Ronald Reagan, he is asked to investigate the disappearance of a scientist Dr Harvey Goodman from the Ronald Reagan station. The station personnel deny that Goodman or the section of the station he worked in - OMZ13 - ever existed. Out near the Sun, a salvage ship finds an abandoned capsule, designated OMZ13, floating in space.
While Theroux is left to investigate the crash of a rocket carrying nuclear waste, Spring, on an enforced vacation, is lured to Rome where he is framed for drug-trafficking.
The returning crew of the survey ship Pluto 5 are discovered dead, appearing almost freeze-dried. There is a connection to a large Japanese corporation and the suicide of a scientist close to the Moonbase commander.
Mystery surrounds a world-famous pianist accused of kidnapping and ransoming embryos from Moonbase. Anna Shoun and Colin Devis investigate and ultimately confront what turns out to be the clone of the accused pianist.
Ever increasing glitches and equipment failures around the Moonbase coincide with a safety inspection and lead eventually to a decompression emergency for the base. During the emergency, Nathan Spring and Pal Kenzy are forced to spend time together, as does Colin Devis with his psychologist ex-wife.
Rumours swell of alien artefacts discovered on Mars. An attempt is made to kill Nathan Spring as he investigates drug smuggling and the deaths of two pilots.
