In the 1950s, the British carried out atomic bomb testing at Maralinga. Afterwards they blew up 23 kilograms of plutonium with explosives, then left the fragments lying in the South Australian desert. Thirty years later, two students, Ryn and Hercus, decided to steal a huge piece of plutonium - one of the deadliest substances on the planet - and bury it in a backyard.
It is years after the prank. Hercus is a middle-aged failure obsessed with the continuing destruction of the environment. In a desperate attempt to redeem himself, he digs up the plutonium and blackmails his friend Ryn to help him achieve the ultimate act of terrorism and save the world from humanity.
Jemma, Ryn's wife, narrates the story as the couple desperately try to stop Hercus without incriminating Ryn. Against the backdrop of technological wizardry, political intrigue and environmental lobby groups battling for control of society, Jemma and Ryn race against time to stop Hercus from fulfilling his deadly dream.
