Inside the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, an object is detected on radar rapidly descending to earth. Just moments before impact, it vanishes, crash landing somewhere other than originally predicted. Where? No one knows. But the ripple effects are felt worldwide. In a mountain chalet, an innocent children's book author is about to be frightened to the very core of her soul. In the Kremlin, a war hero is once again summoned to serve his country. In Japan, a determined general sets a daring plan into motion. In California, an expert in kinesics, the science of body movement, is about to be put to the test. In Canada, the RAF takes to the skies. In Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, an order is given-Initiate the Roswell Protocols. And somewhere, on a crashed alien vessel, something stirs. The race is on. A covert battle for the possession of advanced technology has begun. The winning country will be the sole superpower on the planet. But are any of them truly prepared for what they'll find . . .