A Poisonous Sun

Although her responsibility is for Easter Europe, NSA satellite analyst Keely Krebs is studying images from Peru where her brother is prospecting for oil when she sees an anomaly that changes her life. Rather than do what the doctors tell her she needs to do to delay her death from lupus, Keely decides to go to Peru, see the giant pictographs at Atacampa and Nacza that she and other researchers suspect were made by aliens, and see her brother—maybe for the last time.

Deep in the Peruvian jungle Slick Krebs is on short time to locate the oil reserves he knows must be there before the exploration lease runs out. As the wildcatter's anger and frustration cause him to take ever greater risks, and the Peruvian Indians who work for him begin to get killed in drill site accidents, Slick's life is jeopardized by an Indian mutiny.

Deep underground, a schism has developed between the two leaders of a colony of aliens which has been trapped underground for hundreds of years with a spaceship they cannot repair. Most of the aliens and their leader Capac believe that they have to remain underground because the light from a yellow sun will kill them. Their spiritual leader, Tupa, tries to convince Capac and the others that they can go above ground and be safe. As the noises made by Slick Krebs' geologic soundings and drilling draw closer, the aliens realize that they are not going to be able to delay making a decision that could end their existence.

After a helicopter crash destroys Slick's means of escape and Keely, while wandering lost in the jungle, discovers the entrance to the aliens' home, no one's life will remain the same.