In the super-overpopulated world of twenty-ninth century, the remnants of civilizations cling to survival in fortified city-states. Among them is Iulius, a historian and a member of a secret society, entrusted with a daunting mission-to chronicle the key events that led to civilization's collapse. He hopes this history might guide future generations-or perhaps extraterrestrial visitors-as they seek to understand the reasons for humanity's tragic fall.One day Iulius receives a long-awaited coded message, indicating it's time to leave the safety of city-state New Vancouver and deliver his manuscript to whoever and whenever his mentor, Father Thomas says. Once there, he will also receive a hyper-memory stick containing the accumulated knowledge of humankind that he must deliver to that person, to that destination. But the journey ahead is fraught with danger. Beyond the city's walls lies a devastated wilderness teeming with billions of desperate, feral survivors who have abandoned their humanity for the sake of a single goal-survival.Aided by an unlikely group of companions, Iulius must navigate treacherous terrain, evade bloodthirsty marauders, and confront his own fears, all while racing to complete his chronicle before he, too, becomes just another casualty of the apocalyptic wasteland.