In this romantic, science fantasy novel, a middle aged Regnusian named Rakena deposits a hypersource into the hands of earthling Professor Wolfe Sterling, just before Regnus security forces corner her. She bites into a poison capsule to avoid revealing the loose quantum reality string that she has just created. Before dying, she envisions a future where she will fall in love with this strange Earth man. Dr. Sterling is a promising string theory professor from the University of Toledo who has been attempting to create his own hypersource, a device which permits travel between alternative universes and possibly time. With Rakena's advanced hypersource glasses in hand, Sterling collides with a younger version of Rakena, who serves as an alien history security officer. It is her job to slow Earth's technological progress, and she has already successfully disposed of Ludwig Boltzmann and Alan Turing by getting them to commit suicide. In their first encounters, Sterling thwarts Rakena's attempts to knock Newton, Einstein, and Galileo off of their destined paths. Facing Sterling's opposition, and with her superior's devised plan and orders, Rakena draws in Sterling by feigning interest in Earth's customs while other security force agents do her dirty work. Rakena falls in love with Earth's culture and with Wolfe, the man who has unveiled art and religion to her and helped her uncover her hidden love of art. Together, Wolfe and Rakena act as two loose strings pull apart the fabric of reality and alter the course of the multiverse.