Jan Wojcik wasn't supposed to be the first man to set foot on Mars. Verena Meier wasn't supposed to be expecting the first child to be born off-world. They are on an alien planet, assaulted by storms and meteorites, where nothing is going to plan. The pioneers are divided by grudges and suspicion while the first arrivals struggled to win a toehold on the Red Planet. The first team resents the easier arrival of those in the second ship and Verena discovers they have a derogatory new name for her and her companions: Seconders. Their shared life support dome is crumbling. The intimidating leader Hal Bulman is hiding something, and people are dying. Verena must risk permanent division by seeking a site to build a new habitat while time and supplies are running out, and Jan must decide whether he is a Firster, a Seconder, or a Martian.