An epic First Contact story on a galactic scale. Humans have reached the stars, but there is no evidence any other species survived its own sentience long enough to do the same. Until now, when the Magellanix deep-space scout Accipiter discovers the Artifact, a million-year-old alien construct resting in a dormant volcano on a faraway world. Now TransGalactic has sent the Carpathia to steal it. Two ships; two rival corporations; and a race only one of them can win. But the stakes are greater than they seem. The Artifact is more than just a technological marvel. It holds the key to humanity's survival, and - perhaps - an understanding of our place in the universe at last. -- Summary from book.