Nuclear war, deterred for decades by the threat of mutual annihilation, has begun. Al-Qaeda, unconcerned with the consequences of its actions, has detonated a bomb in Washington D.C., destroying the nation's capital.As President McCormick and his advisers face the tough decision of whether to follow through with their threat to retaliate against the perpetrators, a new challenge arises-one as potentially deadly as nuclear war.Once again, the president turns to his old friend, Dr. Amos Blund, for help-but will it be too late? Can Amos help the president avoid global thermonuclear war and the horrors it will unleash? Struggling to control infighting in the Preserve, Amos faces a daunting task. Helping the president face global challenges, as he must, while also reeling from the staggering, nearly incomprehensible discovery of a gate-to somewhere or to somewhen-Amos must decide where his priorities lie, especially when worlds collide.