Tom Rice thought his first assignment as a graduate student would be straightforward: join a team of archaeologists and dig through the remains of an ancient alien civilization. The High Ones ruled the galaxy millennia ago, and now only fragments of their culture remain—cryptic artifacts scattered across the stars.
When the team uncovers a “message cube” containing living images of the High Ones, everything changes. The footage suggests these beings may not be extinct after all. What began as an academic mission suddenly becomes a dangerous pursuit across the cosmos.
Each discovery leads to new peril, as Tom and his crew hurtle toward answers that could rewrite humanity’s place in the universe. Some relics should be left buried. This one refuses to stay quiet.
