What if a spaceship landed in the U. S. in 1859? What if the U. S. was a repressive autocratic regime instead of a republic? The answers to those questions gives rise to a pair of transcontinental chases. Col. Jacob Larsen of the Ministry of Justice pursues an alien, Anira "Annie" Brazym, westward while an army patrol follows Andy "The Nightmare Kid" Macon and his associates eastward. Along the way, a democratic resistance movement, Native tribes, the ever-present Imperial regime, and normal citizens are thrown into the mix--along with the other aliens hovering somewhere in the background. When the chases merge in Missouri, everyone, knowingly or not, races to save a village from annihilation. Does anyone arrive in time? There's only one way to find out. Begin reading "The Nightmare Kid."
