Seven gripping stories of adventure, exploration and love introduce memorable historical and original characters. In the early 16th century, Lawrence of Pannonia joins a peasant rebellion led by the heroic George Dozsa. In 1942, Japanese-American Andy Yamanago evades internment to take part in the Battle of Midway. Mother and daughter and a downed American airman find refuge and love on a Danubian farm in 1944. In the 1960s, a young immigrant finds work and friendship in Philadelphia and, ultimately, the Silicon Valley. In the 1980s, a Stanford physicist finds gold in California, receives the Nobel Prize, and pursues his dream of organizing the Danubian Federation. In the latter part of the 20th century, young people seek the elixir of youth among the redwoods of northern California, and receive a radio message with possible extraterrestrial origins. In the middle of the dynamic 21st century, the heroic crew of a starship sends an ice-teroid toward Mars to help its terraforming. The characters in these seven stories promise many surprises for the adventurous reader.