In the countdown to the "heat death" of the universe, three completely different interstellar civilizations - the "psionic symbionts" pursuing spiritual eternity and collective consciousness, the "silicon-based matrix" ruling with cold logic and absolute efficiency, and the "pan-solar system community" of humans and their allies struggling between material limitations and free will - collided because of an ultimate secret about the origin and end of the universe. Their conflict and fusion will unfold on the "ring", a huge artificial structure surrounding a dying star. The outcome will determine whether the universe will fall into eternal darkness or ignite a glimmer of rebirth.
