In a world made unrecognizable by a devastating nuclear war, murder remains a horrific crime. Sylvester Dramain, a survivor born before the Big Bang, must traverse a bleak and unforgiving landscape to reach Northpoint. There, with the assistance of a special constable, he must uncover the facts behind the sudden death of The Local, Samuel Brown. In doing so, he encounters all the harsh truths of a civilization changed forever by the madness of an all-encompassing global conflict.