When the Ring aliens first thought of contacting other worlds and universes, they gave no consideration to the fact that other species might be differently constructed. Deep-space dwellers, they sent their probes off into the night. Most disappeared into the eternal darkness of space, but one found Earth. And one was enough. Because the ring aliens sent their information coded in the form of a virus, which proved deadly to 90% of humanity. The ten percent who survived were deeply, vastly changed and the society that rose from the rubble was one unlike any that ever came before...

The survivors of Earth had visions - dark, disturbing visions. Some had dream of constructing a vast, superphysical bridge between our world and the Ring. Others had navigational instructions. But no one had all the information the Ring dwellers had tried to pass on an in this new, half-mad society, cooperation was the hardest bridge of all to build.