Ruth Miller, a lowly government clerical, has a savant-like ability to understand physics and math, but no social skills. Unexpectedly, she's transferred to the front office of a Cabinet Secretary only to discover she's become a pawn in a partisan-politics intrigue. Now her job, reputation, and life are threatened by people she's never met and can't understand. Ruth's battle to survive draws her into a high-stakes game that involves stopping a dim-witted president from triggering an all-out war with China, the world's foremost superpower.