Martha Mathewson, a professor of psychology, for years belittled her soon to be ex-husband, a revered astrophysicist, over his passion for little green men and the star civilizations they come from. 
When Don Mathewson suddenly dies, Martha must stretch herself into Don's files and tapes, and be drawn into Don's world, a world which includes shadowy covert operatives. At the same time, she's moved to Tucson, Arizona, her daughter has come to live with her, and a small metal ball discovered in Don's old oak desk (a ball which emits a bluish halo in the dark, dances to jazz, and communicates telepathically) is talking to her.
In this new upended life, she's being forced to abandon old beliefs about the nature of reality while also trying to stay alive...She's opening up. Changing. Becoming vulnerable.