Poker is a game best played with a straight face and steely nerves. Now Spock must play the most dangerous game of all. At risk is the sovereignty of the Federation and the stakes are Captain James T. Kirk.
Captain Kirk and his crew are on a mission to investigate the mysterious wave of violence that has overtaken the Helvans – revolutions, mass riots, horrible tortures. This chaos is all part of an experiment by an unimaginable power that soon grips even the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Captain Kirk is plagued by violent hallucinations and removed from command. Spock takes charge but his orders seem irrational, even cruel. Unless this terrible power can be stopped, not only the Starship Enterprise, but an entire galaxy will be ensnared in the deadly grip of the Prometheus Design.