After working for the federal government for thirteen years, Matt Pine longs for more out of life. The Cold War wages on in 1987, but Matt's looking for a little excitement of his own, a little romance. He didn't plan on risking his life to find it, but when he meets Sue, a woman to whom he is instantly attracted, he ends up almost terminally smitten. Matt and Sue hit it off pretty well on their first date, until the sky falls in, literally. An alien space craft crashes near them, nearly kills them, and maroons an advanced alien intelligence on earth. Although this intelligence is more advanced than humans, it needs human assistance to guarantee its survival. Matt and Sue strike up a deal with the alien intelligence, which will guarantee them money, power, and just about anything else they could ever want. But can they trust their new alien partner? Both the United States and the Soviet Union militaries suspect Matt and Sue's new connection and are willing to start World War III. Will Matt and Sue turn this intelligence over to the federal government or risk the future of the planet on some Wild Options?