Rex Leinster is a young man from the remote, backwater planet Earth, who dreams of one day exploring and adventuring throughout space just like his father. He enters a local space race hoping to earn a bit of money and fame for himself, but winds up losing by a hair. However, his performance attracts the attention of a recruiter for the Lightning Express shipping company, and soon he's hired on as their newest cargo pilot. Unfortunately, Lightning Express is perpetually on the brink of bankruptcy, uses outdated and poorly-maintained equipment, and is generally a laughingstock across the galaxy. But everyone's got to start somewhere, right?