Nick Greenwood

Fleeing the political dangers of Earth, Julian Bean Delphiki has taken his three children to the stars. They all share the same engineered genetic anomaly: a hyper-intelligence that comes with a cruel, rapidly ticking biological clock. By traveling at near-light speed, Bean hopes the time dilation will give scientists back on Earth enough generations to discover a cure for their condition. But as the years pass, their fading signals are forgotten by humanity. Just as their own ship's life support begins to fail, the Delphiki family makes a staggering discovery in the deep void of space. Looming before them is a derelict Formic colony ship, a massive alien vessel left over from the ancient wars. Boarding the silent ship, they find a haunting mix of death and incredible wonders. Inside its alien laboratories, Bean and his brilliant children might finally find the space to grow, the technology to survive, and the key to unlocking the mysteries of their own DNA.