Southern Illinois has long been known as Little Egypt, but no one can agree on why. Until now. A massive earthquake in the New Madrid system has unearthed an immense cavern system revealing a long abandoned Egyptian civilization. How did they get here? Where are they now? Volunteer researchers from all over the world have converged to gain as much insight into these mysteries. They must do it before another earthquake threatens to collapse the already unstable cavern system and all is lost forever.