In New Mexico’s high desert, Sherrif’s Corporal Ivanov Longfeather feels an uneasiness he can’t shake. Intelligent and intuitive, Ivanov is a spiritual young man who “occasionally has what his Native-side people call ‘visions.’” In another section of the desert, Doctor Joan Rand also feels uneasy. However, there is no question of the cause. Her team at E-R-Mag, after a long, arduous process, is running the big test on the ENet Project, an underground antenna. As Ivanov returns to town, still sensing something, he notices what the tribe calls the Silver Tree has vanished, leaving behind a scene like nothing he has ever seen. Soon, both he and Rand will meet under dire circumstances as they struggle to find a way to stop the enormous destruction possible should the ENet Project not be shut down immediately. There is a problem, however. The ENet is operating on its own, and no one knows how to stop it. Everyone is harboring the same question: Is this the end of the world as we know it?

Fascinating characters, lively dialogue, and descriptive settings gather in this fast-paced science fiction novel. The novel’s storyline concerns alternative timelines and lends itself to philosophical themes concerning the meaning and nature of time. Other themes like government responsibility and personal ethics are present and offer interesting aspects to the story. The novel pulls the reader into a nightmare scenario, which is scariest, perhaps, in being not at all farfetched. One can even see the value in the project’s expansion of worldwide communication and its possibilities, so there is no real villain here unless it is hubris. This novel is an enjoyable read with thought-provoking questions that add to the reader’s enjoyment. It grabs the reader’s imagination while leaving some interesting food for thought.

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