The Gates of Heaven

In the 24th century, the mission of the cruiser Natty Bumppo: patrol deep space in the vicinity of Orion, rendering aid to those in distress, enforcing the interstellar law of the Concordat Federation, and investigating new phenomena. In the pursuance of their duty, the ship and crew are drawn to Rohenna-4, an unremarkable planet orbiting an unremarkable star. They find something strange going on there, something that makes them question their deepest beliefs. The Gates of Heaven is a scientific and philosophical mystery.