A small main cast makes this story fast & entertaining. A civilization based on found, but not understood, alien technology, initially discovered by a girl who claims it it alive. No one believes her, but the technology becomes the foundations of civilization. Hundreds of years later a poor orphan believes the same thing & is ridiculed, but his repairs are better & last longer than more traditional linesman working with the alien tech. With Galactic War breaking out, will the heroes love of this "living tech" be enough to prevent a war? Or will his "insane notions" infect the linesman keeping the Galaxy from falling into a new dark age?