Karl Meier is a private in the German Army. He's been sent to occupied Greece on a secret mission in late 1944 as the Wehrmacht is withdrawing from the country.
Karl has been assigned to support Professor Johannes Schmidt in the excavation of the ruins at Delphi, searching for a wunderwaffe—a wonder weapon that could help Germany win the Second World War. Deep within a cave, he finds a golden orb. On touching it, Karl connects with an alien intelligence that has sat dormant on Earth for thousands of years—the Oracle. First Contact is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. This series is similar to Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone in that it is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be enjoyed in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact. Contains a note from the author.
