Will Story's short time on this earth turn around when she meets Harry? Or will it only get worse when Harry finds out the secret she's been trying to hide from him. Her secret is this: Story only has one year to live.

The year is 2298. The government has been transformed into a shitty Aristocracy bent on ruling the OSA, that is, the Only States of America. The once glorious nation was reduced down to five states covered in mugginess and death. Marsivan Barnes, otherwise known as Mars, lives in the hellhole known as Graveland Florida. All the rotted corpses and useless bodies were dumped there after shit broke down. Desperately stealing and scavenging finds him imprisoned by three intelligent women. But the women have a secret. They are secretly building a plane under the Aristocracy's nose. Once complete, they will sail over the barriers seperating the OSA from the Outside. Once there, they were free. Mars will not hesitate to complete the plane. There's nothing left for him in a world that is nothing but rubble and screams.

Sonya Jay is finally sixteen. Even after moving to a new state and not knowing hardly anybody, the party is just as she had wished it would be. That night, however, Sonya, and her older brother, Scott, are attacked and kidnapped by a ruthless gang of pirates. The Jays learn that if they want to survive, they have to be clever; a slip of the tongue means the tongue comes off.