Just as East and West prepare for a nuclear confrontation, a rogue scientist releases a deadly virus at every major airport in the world. While the virus decimates the global population, Russian tanks are poised to strike into Western Europe, but a giant solar flare, followed by a coronal mass ejection, destroys all electronic technology and communication on Earth. The northern hemisphere is plunged into another ice age. Yet, on a remote island in the South Pacific, life continues to thrive. Among the native population are westerners, each drawn to the island for different reasons, each with a part to play in the survival of not only the islanders, but the human race.