This is the story of four astronauts, a scientist, and a television news reporter. During a routine shuttle mission in 2007, they watch in astonishment as the Earth rapidly dissolves into a fiery ball and then suddenly implodes. Resigned to death, the crew is saved by an alien known only as the Seeker. The Seeker has been trying to discover what is causing the destruction that has befallen the Earth and many other planets. He has always arrived too late, until now. He offers the crew of the Odyssey a chance to go back in time five years, try to find out what will cause the Earth to explode and prevent it. While the team searches for the truth and for who or what is behind it, they must also deal with being back in the past with memories of what is to come. Along the way they learn that their actions in the past can have a direct outcome for the future.

The government mostly runs at the behest of a small number of extremely powerful companies called the "Consortium" (including computer memory and virtual-reality vacation provider Rekall and android manufacturer Uber Braun). David Hume is a senior detective for the Citizens Protection Bureau (CPB). After his first partner is killed by self-aware androids, he is partnered against his wishes with Ian Farve, an earnest and upright officer new to the department. Hume and the CPB often have conflicts with the Assessor's Office (the branch of the government that has sole jurisdiction over crimes related to the Consortium) and with the private security forces of Consortium companies.