It was Chris Alan's very first day of seventh grade.

That's hard. It's bad. No child should be asked to do such an awful thing. Humiliation, embarrassment, and social isolation await him. Then, of all days, the aliens decide to launch their conquest of Earth. So, along with Chris's preteen angst, he gets aerial bombardment, and then vicious insectile aliens pile out of their ships and start killing humans in earnest. What a rotten first day of class!

As his world collapses around him, Chris makes a frantic run for safety. Alone, he heads into the Rocky Mountains to avoid capture. Now, he faces the perils of alien pursuit, and soon, the Montana winter. And he's completely on his own, forced to live by his wits. A betting person would wager big money on Chris failing. But that gambler doesn't know our hero. Chris never quits, and he is committed to saving his species. All he lacks to do so are resources, experience, and help of any kind. Yeah, no big deal. He's got this.

While he struggles to survive, Chris chances to observe significant people from his past. A teacher, classmates, and even a girl he had a crush on. But can he fulfill his promise to himself and save any of them? If he does, not only will his meager supplies be strained, but he risks betrayal. A desperate person might try to purchase their freedom by selling out anyone they could to their cruel masters. If Chris slips up just once, he knows he's a goner.

The aliens are holding humans in bunches with no evident plan. Anguish over what unknown fate awaits humankind, starvation, and the absence of any hope are slowly killing the captives. An unbelievable discovery might make it possible for Chris to turn the tide on our evil conquerors. But can a teenager on his own possibly mount an effective defense? The chances are so small, most people would curl up in a ball and give up. But that's not how Chris Alan is put together. He is willing to roll the dice in an impossible gambit to save his species. Is he brave? Crazy? Nope, he's a teenage boy. Hey, what could go wrong?