He awoke in a tiny, lightless cell, groping for memory—memory that has been erased. Hope Hubris—Jupiter governor, progressive populist, warrior hero and presidential candidate—was a 'mem-washed' tool of the enemy. And if his captors' plan worked, Hope would destroy his own political career, leaving the fate of his planet in the hands of its own corrupt presidential incumbent—Toscin.

But Hope Hubris had a destiny to fulfill. He had the cunning to discover codewords that could reactivate his mind; he had the strength to resist addiction to drugs; he had the power to win the support of his country folk.

And he had the courage to make an agonizing sacrifice that would ensure his planet's future and his own destiny as the Tyrant of Jupiter.