From acclaimed science fiction author Brian Stableford (Year Zero, Designer Genes: Tales from the Biotech Revolution) comes the first book in a staggering new trilogy featuring the most incredible backdrop of all — an entire planet. Asgard is a planet-sized artifact presently orbiting a star on the edge of the galaxy. It seems to consist of a series of concentric spheres, each of which was once host to several complex civilizations. Since its discovery by the Tetrax, scavengers from dozens of other species have accumulated in a hastily improvised city, busily scouring the outer layers for artifacts that might offer clues to the advanced technologies involved in the construction of Asgard. One of the few humans involved in this hectic search is Mike Rousseau. Michael must fend off predatory aliens, militant humans, and the rest of the races that are vying to be first into the hollow core of Asgard. But everything changes when he discovers that Asgard is still inhabited by another alien race — and who knows how they will react to the realization that there is an entire outside world above their heads?