In a dark and dying world, Eugene Sulke stands on the cusp of his lifelong dream: a promotion, money, and a home in the affluent section of Old Chicago called the Fortress where he can watch the sun set over the azaleas. Only one thing stands in his way—his own fear that he is responsible for the terrible conditions his new home would wall him off from. Caught in a web of intrigue and the warnings from his wife, Eugene could not see the unfolding chaos around him. Suddenly, his wife is dead, he's in prison, and then subjected to the government's final solution—a mind altering technique that would change anyone from who they are to anyone they want them to be. A rescue is attempted, but Eugene's own fears become his worst enemy. His friends must convince him to go to New America and face the shocking truth about what destroyed his world.