A flight into danger. A portal to another world. Adventures, danger, a new beginning, and a romance that spans forever. Carl Goodman, a Merchant Marine sailor during World War Two, is shipwrecked off the coast of China and a temporary visitor at an American airfield, finally scores a ride to India to ship out on another vessel. Accompanying him is Ruby Matthews, a black nurse with her own set of problems. Bad weather forces their plane to crash on an escarpment high in the Himalayas. As the only survivors with minimal supplies, they take refuge inside a cave where they discover a portal that leads them into an almost Eden-like garden. After starting at odds, Carl and Ruby come to an understanding, and romance builds over time. However, their peace is interrupted by the arrival of an alien called Norlok, who has an agenda of his own. Defeating him is only part of the problem. When rescue finally arrives, they find that eighty-five years have passed, yet they've retained their youth-until they return to the US, where they begin to rapidly age. Getting back to their garden is of prime importance, but will they be in time?