What if alien life forms included autonomous, conscious machines? An international prize of is offered to the first man to complete an interplanetary journey. For British pilot Dale Curtance the Keuntz Prize is the ultimate challenge; he must build a ship to survive the journey, assemble a top-notch crew and beat the Russians and Americans, too. Soon the Gloria Mundi blasts off from Salisbury Plain, bound for Mars. There's only one problem: a stowaway named Joan Shiring. At first, the men resent Joan's presence. But soon they realize that she is the only one among them who has first-hand knowledge of the Martians—or at least the intelligent, conscious beings that will one day replace them...