Ascension

From the depths of the ocean to the stars—one woman and a discovery that could change the future of humanity

Leigh grew up in Rotterdam, where, as a young girl, she sought refuge from her father's violent tendencies beneath the water's surface. The underwater world captivates her, so she dedicates her life to marine biology, travelling the planet and studying ancient organisms. When a strange trench is discovered in the Atlantic Ocean, she joins a team of scientists searching for evidence of the first life on Earth. However, their findings soon begin to challenge everything we know about the birth of our species. The discoveries lead Leigh to the Mojave Desert, home to a new and ambitious space agency. As Leigh delves deeper into its operations, she learns that the vent in the Atlantic is just one of several related phenomena around the world, which together form a pattern beyond human comprehension. Realising that continuing to work for the agency means abandoning her ailing mother and younger sister, Leigh faces an impossible choice: should she stay with her family or embark on a journey across the universe?