The six-member crew of the International Space Station is on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected.

Though sixteen-year-old Gardner Elliot has lived his whole life with a team of scientists on Mars, he has always longed to see Earth, to find the father he has never known, and to meet Tulsa, a beautiful street-smart girl he has become friends with online. But when his chance finally comes, doctors discover his heart can't withstand the Earth's atmosphere. Eager to find his father, Gardner and Tulsa escape on a cross-country race against time to unravel...