The novel based on the spectacular new Netflix series! Aboard the starship Shenzhou, Lieutenant Michael Burnham, a human woman raised and trained by Vulcans, is promoted to First Officer. However, to keep her position, she must prove to Captain Philippa Georgiou that she deserves it. She gets the opportunity when the Shenzhou must protect a Federation colony from an ancient alien ship that has emerged from the deepest depths of uncharted seas. As the threat from the mysterious ship escalates, Starfleet declares the colony expendable to counter this danger. Burnham must infiltrate the alien ship to save the lives of thousands of innocents. To do so, she must confront the truth of her unsettling past.