Barnburner IV Bryan Kurtz is an astronaut aboard the International Space Station when he gets the shock of his life. Someone knocks at the outside hatch. He overcomes a near heart attack and discovers a terrestrial explanation to the impossible event. A family of genius millionaires from the state of Arkansas has managed to build their own space ship and then decided to use it to come up and meet them some real live Astronauts. He shock and surprises don't end there. He finds himself and a fellow crewmember Elsa Courskov invited on a trip to Mars with them. In spite of surprising and direct orders to stop the family from leaving he agrees to join the expedition. For an Astronaut it's the opportunity of a life time far too good to pass up. The trip starts out extremely comfortable with the advanced features of the homebuilt space ship and the delightful humor of the down home family, but all good things seem to come to an end. The pleasant trip turns dark and terrifying when a mysterious light on the red planet destroys their probe and they find themselves in a desperate run for their very lives. Things get far worse when the struggle to survive expands into a fight against the extinction of the entire human race. It is only then that they find out the true nature of alien existence and the governments connection with them. In the end the world's fate ultimately rests in the unlikely hands of a well intentioned civilian family, two dedicated astronauts, and a small ship called Barnburner IV.