The people of Emil, living a relatively idyllic life in a bountiful land, learn that they will soon face great change. Like it or not, they must end their isolation and become entangled in the most critical problem menacing the rest of civilization. All of their concerns, both societal and personal, must make way for the new challenge. Andy Landis is a young engineer recently graduated from prestigious East Quadrant University. He has been offered a great new job, and is just beginning a romance with a young woman he has known since childhood. His plans take a turn when he is asked to take part in a decision crucial to his society's future. He soon learns that the choice will be between the ruin of his beautiful homeland and mass murder--and that the decision could be his alone. To make this terrible choice, Andy must uncover secrets from that society's tragic early days.