Adam 250 has waited years for this: the rite of passage known as the Ordeal. His hiking staff is his spear; he fully expects to encounter bears, panthers, wild hogs-or Neanderthal warriors itching to test their skills against his. The year is 2535, and five centuries have passed since the Neanderthals returned from outer space to restake their claim to Earth. Only the scouts survived the apocalypse, and for generations they've been confined to these woods, surviving in near Stone Age conditions while the Neanderthals, an advanced race with sophisticated technology, hunt them for sport. Meanwhile, a Neanderthal war party is gathering on the eastern border, mapping out a murderous tour of the camps of the Wild Woods. On his journey Adam will come face to face with the legendary Dark Scout, and he'll stumble upon an ancient secret that might change everything.