Gussalen, a young woman condemned to death in medieval England, is ripped away from all she knows, first by injustice, then by time travelers. This so-called rescue thrusts her into a new, unimaginable universe-one she cannot distinguish from Hell. Her saviors, Terry and Les-recruited by future scientists to gather lost historical data and DNA samples-must also transport the precious crystelix, a navigation device crucial to the Angeleka, the spacecraft that will carry them all away from the Earth to a new future settlement of humanity.

The crystelix is not only precious in getting the Angeleka back to her home era and planet, however. As they carry its valuable components through multiple realities, the three must learn and adapt to new timelines that hold both wonder and horror, staying clear of danger, would-be thieves, and even a possible traitor.

Through it all, they must also come to terms with personal demons. Gussalen, chased by specters of damnation, endures a future shock that is completely lost on Terry. A happy-go-lucky runaway born in the 1970s, Terry is not always in sync with Les, a disciplined veteran battling his own traumatic memories. All three have secret feelings of indifference to their destination, but they know that if the crystelix is lost, they, along with the entire crew, will be stranded in the limbo of forgotten history.