"She was going to die, she knew that, but she wasn't afraid. Sanctuary seemed like a mirage. Why had it seemed so solid, when just a few feet outside, you saw and felt what the world had really become? Her son was out here somewhere, navigating the same wind and dirt that she was, or he was already gone, because nothing could survive for long." There is no armageddon. The end is simpler than that, and sadder, because mankind was warned. People just kept piling on, polluting, depleting the water supply, over populating, until the earth simply gave up. Miranda and her son Alex are among the lucky ones, living in a controlled city that recreates everything they lost. It's not enough for Alex, who escapes to join his father and a chance for real life in an outside city. Miranda has no choice but to follow. City of the South is dirty and dangerous, more trash heap than fortress. Desperate people will do or trade anything for water and a mouthful of food. Neither city has the answers, but the planet may have answers of her own. Can Miranda, Alex and the human race itself follow Earth's own answer for survival, or is it just too late?