Jake Gillis was a Marine in The Great War. During the heat of battle in 1909, things took a turn for the weird. Mines clattered to life and burrowed underground. Tanks began to hover. Robotic infantrymen charged into gunfire without twitching. After being reassigned to the Navy’s Special Sciences Division, Jake got a front row seat as the world was introduced to a dimensional gateway known as the Altersphere. Once the Altersphere was breached, things from alien worlds and futuristic societies found their way to Earth. Scientists rolled up their sleeves and figured out how to use what they could, dismantling the rest to give birth to a new reality.

When the war finally ends, things don't exactly quiet down. Jake finds work as a private contractor in the burg of Cincinnati where his skills are still in high demand. An especially nasty trinket from the Altersphere has burnt a trail across Europe. Special Sciences is working off the books on this one. They need someone to follow the path of destruction back to its source. While Jake is always a sucker for serving his country, the big-time payday offered by the G-Men cinches the deal and he answers the call to duty.