RAMA II is the second of the RAMA series. It has been seventy years since the first RAMA ship arrived in the solar system. This one was expected as it was discovered the Ramans do everything in threes. Earth, however, is nowhere near the place it was when the first ship was discovered.
The world has been through an economic disaster and is only recently revisiting the solar system again. Mankind is only on Earth because it was just too expensive to maintain colonies throughout the solar system.
A new crew is selected and trained up for another reconnaissance mission. Twelve cosmonauts. A mixture of scientists, engineers, and journalists embark on a mission to figure out why this ship is coming. Unlike the first, this one changes course and is on an intercept course with the Earth. The team was prepared for what to expect and brought equipment to make it easier to explore.
Nichole des Jardine is the medical officer on the crew. It’s her job to keep everyone healthy. The leader of the crew suffers a freak illness just as they reach their objective. She has to do emergency surgery, but something goes horribly wrong. Just as the operation begins, RAMA performs a maneuver that causes the automatic surgeon device to malfunction killing him. Nichole is distraught and desperately tries to figure out what could have possibly gone wrong.
Unfortunately, more members of the team lose their lives to RAMA. One is a tragic accident caught on live TV. The other is an unfortunate circumstance for the world’s foremost expert on RAMA. With the population of Earth horrified at the death of one of the crew, they demand something be done to stop it before it can come kill more people.
In the middle of all this drama, Nichole discovers there was a plot to kill the leader who died in surgery. She tries to keep it secret, but they already suspect her. As she is exploring with another member of the crew, RAMA makes another maneuver causing Nichole to fall into a pit. Her crewmate pretends to not see where she has gone and abandons her. Luckily, there are other species aboard who come to her rescue.
Two crewmembers come looking for her after the rest of the crew leaves. There are nuclear missiles coming to destroy the ship. Can they warn RAMA of the danger? Will they survive?
