President Michael Fontaine is struggling to preserve his legacy against the threats of rebels, firestorms and floods. The Nomenklatura live safely behind the Protection Barriers, but out in the Wastelands the rest of the population is fighting for food and water.Miriam Sabto, the Minister for Incarceration, aspires to be the first Black president of the Democratic Republic of Australia, and her advisor, Ruth Tran, will do anything to make this happen. And then there is Freddie Wu, envoy from Shanghai, with his demands backed up by a visiting aircraft carrier.As the rebels attack the Fontaine Government, events take a sudden turn that puts the future of Australia on the line.