A human astronaut testing a new theory created by himself and his friend about using a planet's gravity to accelerate a space vessel's speed, John Crichton accidentally opens a wormhole leading to a distant part of the galaxy, stranding himself amongst alien lifeforms. Rescued by the escaped prisoners of Moya, and discovering that the Sebacean Peacekeeper Captain Crais wants to kill him because his brother died after crashing into Crichton's ship, Crichton finds himself wandering the galaxy aboard Moya in pursuit of a way home.