With the collapse of the government after the Second World War, Americans have learned to live without help or interference from police, lawyers and bureaucrats. In this simple and happy world lives an eleven-year-old boy who wants to be a scientist. Having found a plant that makes concentrated uranium, he and his friends build a spaceship out of the strongest substances known to man-spider webs and egg shells. They fly into outer space, but barely make it back alive. Forced to crash land on Mount Saint Helens on Halloween, they encounter the frightening and magical inhabitants of a secret world. The young scientist discovers that the secrets that lie within his own mind can be more astounding than a trip into outer space. They eventually make it home, only to be grounded for going into outer space without asking permission. In the end they learn that there is still much to discover in their own back yard.