Two atoms (carbon and uranium) from different parts of the universe meet on a small planet. Examine how a deadly embrace between science and state altered the fate of the world, and behold a gripping cautionary tale of others who grew used to living in the shadow of grave danger until it killed them all… except for one.

In what kind of world can a child born in 2020 expect to grow up? When did our slide into planetwide environmental destruction begin? Enter the possible world that awaits a 2020 baby in her twenties: one darkened by our refusal to confront the real and mounting challenges we face but one which still offers a message of hope.