Thrown in jail beside a young Vulcan who has been charged with plotting to sell Vulcan artifacts, a troublesome young James T. Kirk forges an uneasy alliance with his cellmate, Spock, with whom he is given a choice to stay imprisoned or to join Starfleet.

In the year 2050, under the command of former fighter pilot and FBI field agent Samuel Lord, a crew of "Zero-G" men are charged with investigating crime beyond the Earth's atmosphere, including the rival Chinese and Russian stations. Early on, a scientist named Dr. May claims that her research has been stolen, but the coincidence of her arrival with a tsunami and her unusual behavior make Lord think she might be hiding something. He is also suspicious...