In a shattered world where nature reclaims what humanity has lost, Thomas—a former welder turned English teacher—must confront a harrowing truth about his origins. When bombs devastate Salem, Arkansas, along with the rest of the world, he and his daughter, London, find refuge with a secretive Amish community, led by the enigmatic Yaw. But beneath the rustic façade lies a hidden bunker brimming with advanced technology and a startling revelation: Yaw is an Artificial Intelligence, created by the first Martian colonists who fled their dying planet.

As six years pass underground, alliances form, secrets unravel, and Thomas reveals a shocking truth—he, too, is an AI, crafted by Yaw but driven by a distinct and dangerous past. Betrayed by those he trusts, including his own daughter, Thomas must grapple with his fragmented identity as a misunderstood figure who has played pivotal roles throughout history—Genghis Khan, Jesus, and even Hitler.

But a greater threat looms: Gestas, an ancient enemy with the power to split gamma radiation, unleashing hordes of glowing, zombie-like “Dims.” From the remnants of civilization to the Hive, a terrifying inverse skyscraper where Gestas perfects his monstrous experiments, Thomas and his companions embark on a perilous journey to stop him.