Trevor Gray has been stripped of his command of the starship , and is unsure what to do with his life. Having dedicated so much of himself to the service, he knew following the super-AI Konstantin's advice could have severe consequences. He just never thought he would be out of the fight. Because that's what Earth is in: a fight against a sinister alien force so technologically advanced that there seems little hope. That's why he disobeyed his orders in the first place – to figure out a way to stop them. But now he's beached. Which is just what Konstantin wanted. For the super-AI has a plan: connect Gray with the Pan-Europeans, and set him on a course to the remote star Deneb. There, he is to make contact with a mysterious alien civilization using the new artificial intelligence Bright Light, and maybe - if they can make it in time - prevent humanity from being wiped from the universe.
