In post-apocalyptic San Francisco, a secret hoard of books from the Twenty-first Century show Nova how out of place she is in her current world of constant executions and puritanical expectations. She wants to get away, but Suffragans don't want to lose their serfs. Escape means death at the hands of the executioner. Undeterred, Nova has been plotting how to escape the Inquisitors grip and go to the vilified Hell Zone. Nova's best friend Henry is obedient to the current way of life, until he's slated for the gallows as a sacrificial offering. He agrees with Nova's plan to run. Together, they dodge the tyrannical Suffragans and their Inquisitors through the defunct and crumbling infrastructure to reach their sanctuary, the Hell Zone. Will they both have a date with the gallows, or will they learn what Hell really is?