The year is 2068 and mankind has begun the long voyage from orphans of global war to members of the interstellar community. Against the advice of the Vulcan Ambassador, Dr. Zefram Cochrane and his associates are leading the struggle to venture out of Earth's gravity well.
    In an attempt to forge Earth into a unified planet, Cochrane envisions the creation of the S.S. Valiant, Earth's first long-term manned warp-capable spacecraft, as a joint venture between NASA and the ISA (International Space Agency). Amidst political bickering and fights over the allocation of reconstruction resources, Zefram, Lily and newcomer Jack Keller mush also deal with the Optimum: the re-orginization of a former mercenary militia from WWIII and a Nuclear Watchdog Task Force gone rogue.