In a basement in New Mexico, four poker buddies and amateur adventurers who have discovered a dark mystery buried beneath the sands of the Sahara desert decide to do something about it. In the deep Sahara, they find an ancient artifact that will change their lives and the world, forever… a gateway between planets that links Earth to distant worlds where they discover wonders and terrors beyond their wildest imagination. Jack Williamson, the dean of science fiction writers, masterfully weaves an exciting tale that takes the friends to the far corners of the universe. While one leads an oppressed people towards freedom, another uncovers clues that could identify a long-dormant super-advanced civilization of immortal beings, and the key to the origin of life on Earth.