"Shiprock"—-an 1,800-foot jagged spire of volcanic basalt rising from the desert of northwest New Mexico and known to the Navajo as "Tse Bit Ai," or "Rock With Wings." It's believed to generate a mysterious vortex of metaphysical energy, which is why Nick Ramis, a freelance writer, comes to investigate. Some distance away is the town of Shiprock, and there he meets Feather Morningstar, a young Navajo girl. It isn't long before Nick and Feather discover that they aren't the only ones interested in the rock—-during a nighttime reconnaissance, they spot two unmarked helicopters flying a search pattern. What are they looking for out in the desert? Three local UFO enthusiasts tell them that the choppers are looking for the remains of a "flying saucer" which has crashed. Nick and Feather are skeptical until they uncover the entrance to a tunnel which appears to lead underneath the rock. If there is an alien spacecraft out there in the desert, can they find it before the government does?