During a test of a secret device at an orbital station, a beam shoots into the Earth from deep space. This becomes the beginning of a catastrophe or not a catastrophe at all... The novel twists the plot of an alien invasion in an unexpected way. Everyone is a victim: both aliens and earthlings. They were faced with a force that defied understanding. With a civilization that is beyond the phase barrier... There is only one main character, the narration is from the first person, the novel is built on constant action. There are very few lyrical digressions. The meaning is inscribed in the action.