Almost a hundred years pass. The Earth is ready for habitation. But it is a far different Earth from the one last seen so long ago. New plants and forms of wildlife from different worlds populate the planet, as chosen by the Womb.

The survivors, as expected, have not aged a day since the bombs dropped. New alliances have been made; relationships that should have led to the birth of children flourish unhappily without babies. The original wildlife is still with them, along with their generations of offspring. Every human now realizes their role is to support the animals.

And what of poor six-year-old Suzy as she is mourned and forgotten by her grandfather and sister?

Scotty is hailed as The One to restore domination by the humans, even as they all fail to understand how. Struggles ensue as the survivors discover the perils of the new and amazing life delivered to the planet by the Womb. They fight to eke out a role in the new ecosystem that has put them at the bottom of the food chain.

As the survivors begin to develop a new civilization for themselves above ground; the new natural order thrusts women into positions of power. Will the softer of the species spell success for what is left of the human race? Or are the mistakes of the past doomed to be repeated?