A millennium has passed since civilization imploded, bringing mankind to the brink of extinction and rendering the earth itself barely habitable. The bulk of survivors---the chosen few---huddle within six magnificent domed refuge cities hastily constructed before the apocalypse by a mysterious and obscure handful of saviors known as the Founders. Within each city a privileged but burdened group of Directors safeguard the human heritage and manage the genetic survival of the race. Under close supervision of the Directors, narrowly trained specialists, motivated and pacified by issuance of a daily "reward," repair and maintain the infrastructure of the aging cities. Steven 23, an electrical device specialist in the city of Eden, finds himself at odds with the stratified and rigid social structure and the confining nature of city life, vaguely yearning for something more. Unlike his seemingly soulless fellows, he craves true companionship and is obsessed with curiosity about the world outside the city walls, despite rumors of roaming "cataclysms" and mutants called the "Others." Circumstance and opportunity---and perhaps fate---drive Steven out of the city, where he discovers a civilized remnant who struggle to survive using primitive technology. Ironies abound. While Eden represents what is left of advanced civilization, the Others represent what is left of the human spirit. To be complete and to resettle the earth, both groups must unite. The Directors, however, have lost sight of the true purpose of Eden, stubbornly clinging to their own special prerogatives and position. Inspired by the legend of a predecessor in rebellion, Steven determines to break open the closed city and usher in a new era in human history.