Hovering in the corrosive clouds over Io is a colony of volatile gas mines. The colony's leader--known to everyone as "the king"--maintains order through stern, dictatorial control.

When the king goes into hiding after an attempted assassination, his former bodyguard Horrocks is chosen to spearhead the manhunt. First he must find the Ringers--a new breed of bodyguard surgically altered to mimic the king. They went missing just hours after the attack, and Horrocks suspects them of treachery. Guilty or innocent, they've left a trail that might lead to the king.

The hunt forces Horrocks to revive his suppressed ferocity
and to question the imperfect way of life that he is
fighting to preserve.

Synopis provided by the author.