In a future when Earth is a toxic abandoned world & humanity has spread into the outer solar system to survive the tightly controlled use of time travel holds the key to maintaining a fragile existence among the other planets & their moons James Griffin-Mars is a chronman--a convicted criminal recruited for his unique psychological makeup to undertake the most dangerous job there is missions into Earth's past to recover resources & treasure without altering the timeline Most chronmen never reach old age & James is reaching his breaking point On his final mission James meets scientist Elise Kim who is fated to die during the destruction of an oceanic rig Against his training & common sense James brings her back to the future with him saving her life but turning them both into fugitives Remaining free means losing themselves in the wild & poisonous wastes of Earth & discovering what hope may yet remain for humanity's home world