Book 2 in a 3 part series.The crew of the Space Shuttle Aldrin has returned from a year in space, only to discover that the lush planet they left behind has been decimated by a viral pandemic. After learning about the possible existence of a band of survivors in the Midwest, the astronauts set off on a cross-country trek, only to find themselves beset by countless hordes of the walking dead. In Little Rock, a young teacher and an old woman struggle to build a fortified community within the chain-linked confines of an abandoned high school. With new survivors joining daily, they discover there is more to fear than the living dead outside the gates - an enemy has found its way inside. A small band of soldiers narrowly escapes death when their fort is overrun. Now they find themselves wandering across the country.As fate draws these groups together, they will need all of their skills, resourcefulness, and luck as they learn to survive on the Planet of the Dead.