A Changed World

In the near future, a virus has whittled down the human race. The remaining population struggles to survive in a world ravaged by extreme weather. A reticent government provides food and vaccines and keeps the ultra-fast trains running. Cities are empty, farms deserted, factories abandoned. The world is running on a skeleton crew.

What had started as a simple trip turns into an undercover operation for Nick, leaving Wisp to return to High Meadow on his own with a van full of children. In the search for answers, Nick learns that the problems are more complex than he imagined. The country’s minimal infrastructure is teetering on the brink of collapse. And the people in charge are not at all what he’d hoped. Angus predicts that the high mortality rate from the last round of flu could cause the disintegration of smaller settlements putting people on the road.

As starving, travel-weary people overrun High Meadow, Tillie and Angus must do a delicate dance to keep the doors open. Angus has set the boundaries for their new territory, and Martin is tasked with keeping it safe. Tillie struggles to get everyone fed while keeping an eye on the stores for winter. Wisp helps where he can, vetting the newcomers and finding stragglers, but not every person comes under his scrutiny.