A young college student, hoping to be hired as a newspaper reporter, seeks to prove herself by landing an interview with a reclusive author after an attempt on the author's life. The author is famous for a controversial book that claims a dominant intelligent species, on any planet, is doomed. The book angered people for many reasons, one of which is the argument that extra-terrestrial visitors have not been here and never will be. The pursuit of a story helps our heroine resolve an important personal relationship as she confronts her fears about the future and gains a better understanding of the human condition.