In the far future, mankind lives safe and secure behind the Chronos Ring – an automatic defense system that encircles the area of space occupied by human beings. The Ring keeps out all of humanity’s enemies – in particular, a vicious race of reptilians known as the Parsnaak. On the outer fringe of human-occupied space is the planet Muse, an entire world dedicated and established as a colossal museum – a storehouse of antiquities and relics from the ancient histories of both men and aliens. There, Ian Lotus, a man with his own mysterious past, has chosen to live in deliberate obscurity, harboring secrets that could reshape mankind’s destiny. Now, the impossible has happened: the Chronos Ring has been breached – rendered inert – and Lotus finds himself no longer able to hide in the shadows as he becomes the object of a massive interplanetary manhunt. However, his problems go well beyond simply being the most wanted man in the galaxy. There’s also the approaching Parsnaak invasion fleet to deal with, as well as an enigmatic, extra-dimensional being of immense power who, for reasons unknown, wants Lotus dead.

Having saved humanity from an invading alien armada, Ian Lotus finds himself not rewarded but once again on the run - struggling to stay one step ahead of a galactic government intent on his capture. However, you don't live as long as Lotus has - well beyond the lifespan of a normal human being - without picking up a trick or two, and Lotus is savvier than most. Catching him won't be easy. Still, his pursuers have a powerful incentive: their quarry is in possession of secrets that could reshape mankind's destiny - in particular, the fact that he's the only person capable of controlling the protective halo of weaponry known as the Chronos Ring, which is humanity's first and last line of defense against its enemies throughout the cosmos. But human agents aren't all Lotus has to worry about. Also hot on his heels is an army of genetically-engineered horrors controlled by an exiled despot from an alternate dimension, who sees Lotus - and in particular, the Ring - as the pathway for both a return to power and the subjugation of humanity. It's up to Lotus to find a way to stop this menace, before the entire human race is enslaved.