Outland

Federal Marshal William T. O'Niel is assigned to a year-long tour of duty at the titanium ore mining outpost on Io, a volcanic moon of Jupiter. This assignment follows the standards of the League of Industrial Nations and marks O'Niel's entry into a hazardous, high-pressure environment.

O'Niel learns about the challenging conditions on Io, including low gravity and the necessity for miners to wear cumbersome atmospheric work-suits. The colony's workforce of 2,144 is heavily incentivized to maximize productivity with long shifts and significant bonuses.

Trouble begins when a miner named Tarlow has a violent breakdown and rips open his work-suit, leading to a fatal decompression. This incident raises alarms about the safety and mental health of the miners working under such extreme conditions.

Soon after Tarlow's death, another miner, Cane, enters a lift without his work-suit, resulting in his own tragic demise due to decompression. These deaths indicate a larger issue within the colony that O'Niel must investigate.

With Dr. Lazarus's assistance, O'Niel begins to investigate the alarming deaths of the miners. Their investigation uncovers a troubling pattern that hints at underlying issues involving the working conditions and mental health of the workforce.

The investigation takes a turn when O'Niel is called to a scene where a miner, Sagan, threatens a prostitute with a knife. O'Niel attempts to defuse the situation, but his sergeant Montone shoots Sagan before O'Niel can intervene, compounding the tensions within the colony.

O'Niel discovers that all the deceased miners had a dangerous amphetamine called 'polydichloric euthimal' in their systems. This drug, which allows miners to work extended shifts, is linked to their psychotic breakdowns, raising serious concerns regarding the mining operations.

O'Niel uncovers a drug ring orchestrated by Mark Sheppard, the head of the mining colony, and sanctioned by Montone. Angry about the illicit operations that endanger lives, O'Niel vows to expose the drug trafficking to the corporation running the outpost.

Frustrated by O'Niel's dedication to his duty, his wife leaves him a heartfelt message pleading for him to return home. This personal crisis adds emotional weight to O'Niel's struggle against the forces endangering the lives of his fellow miners.

After capturing one of Sheppard's drug dealers, Spota, O'Niel finds him dead in isolation before he can interrogate him. This raises alarms about potential threats to O'Niel as he realizes the extent of the danger he faces in exposing the drug operation.

Sheppard contacts his corporate representatives and arranges for hit-men to eliminate O'Niel, citing a dire urgency as the threat to his operation escalates. Unbeknownst to him, O'Niel intercepts this communication, preparing for impending danger.

As O'Niel prepares for the deadly confrontation, news of the arrived assassins spreads throughout Con Am 27. The miners, fearing for their safety, are unwilling to assist O'Niel, leaving him to fend for himself against the imminent threat.

O'Niel engages in a tense cat-and-mouse game with the assassins, employing surveillance to track their movements. With the help of Dr. Lazarus, O'Niel uses his wits in a desperate bid for survival within the mining colony's corridors.

In a dramatic showdown, O'Niel kills one of the assassins by using the environment against them, causing a depressurization in the greenhouse. This decisive action not only saves his life but also demonstrates his resourcefulness under pressure.

After a fierce hand-to-hand battle with his own Deputy Ballard, O'Niel emerges victorious, ending the immediate threat. Exhausted but resolute, O'Niel confronts Sheppard and retires from his post, finally prepared to reunite with his family back on Earth.