In order to terraform Mars, Earth first had to transform people... The Red Planet is a harsh place, and normal humans cannot survive there during the many years of taming the planet. But a group of humans-called "volunteers," even though they were taken from prison gulags-have been surgically altered to survive the environment. They are exiles, never again able to breathe Earth's air. But for all their work, as they make Mars a place where normal humans can live, these altered humans are no longer suited for their own home. They are obsolete people. They sacrificed their humanity to become the first Martians. And they will not stand by as humans come to take their home.