In 2071, Janet Pilgrim, a recent high school graduate, suddenly finds herself unable to afford college, thanks to her father's financial mismanagement. Faced with the fear of dying of embarrassment if she goes to a junior college, she looks for a way out. After considering joining the Army, she stumbles on the solution to her problems -- becoming an astronaut on a commercial space ship. In 2071, "astronaut" is only slightly more glamorous then "truck driver" is today. But the money is good, and one run to Mars - the "armpit of the Solar System" will fund several years of college. Even better, she won't have to face her friends. Unfortunately, being an astronaut can be dangerous, as she discovers when a friend dies in a training accident, the first of many dangers. Warning explicit language and sex.