▁ships ▁built ▁on ▁Earth . ▁ ▁The ▁ship ▁USS ▁Benjamin ▁Franklin , ▁with ▁an ▁all - male ▁crew , ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁visit ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁the ▁Mil ky ▁Way ▁— ▁actually ▁an ▁unusual ▁quest ▁by ▁the ▁st od gy ▁standards ▁of ▁the ▁typical ▁gal actic ▁culture . ▁ ▁Another ▁ship ▁has ▁gone ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁the ▁Mag ellan ic ▁Cloud s . ▁ ▁The ▁pan - Europe an ▁expedition ▁in ▁the ▁ship ▁Europa , ▁cre wed ▁entirely ▁by ▁women , ▁has ▁ro amed ▁far ▁outside ▁the ▁local ▁group ▁of ▁cult ures . ▁ ▁The ▁star - drive ▁technology ▁allows ▁jour ne ys ▁of ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁parse cs ▁in ▁mere ▁months . ▁ ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁this , ▁most ▁cult ures ▁are ▁" st ay - at - hom es " ▁compared ▁to ▁humans , ▁interact ing ▁only ▁with ▁the ▁local ▁group ▁of ▁cult ures , ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁" cluster ". ▁ ▁Now ▁the ▁Franklin ▁and ▁the ▁Europa ▁return ▁to ▁find ▁that ▁Earth ▁has ▁suffered ▁the ▁ult imate ▁dis aster . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁R agn ar ok ▁The ▁USS ▁Benjamin ▁Franklin , ▁a ▁star ship ▁cre wed ▁entirely ▁by ▁men ▁returns ▁to ▁Earth , ▁to ▁find ▁the ▁planet ▁consum ed ▁by ▁er u ptions ▁from ▁within ▁the ▁cr ust . ▁ ▁All ▁life ▁is ▁gone , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁few ▁out posts ▁of ▁human ity ▁on ▁the ▁Moon ▁and ▁artificial ▁sat ell ites . ▁ ▁Miss iles ▁l urk ▁throughout ▁the ▁Sol ar ▁System , ▁ready ▁to ▁destroy