After the Collapse, humanity becomes lawless, roving throughout the country robbing and looting as they struggle to breathe through their failing ventilators. Chenra has thrived in this brutal landscape despite its challenges, joining a group of mercenaries and thieves known as the Cheetah cluster. That is, until a truckload of armed soldiers offer the cluster an ultimatum - everyone dies, or they get rich by turning in Chenra. Chenra sacrifices herself for the group, only to find the soldiers want her to speak with a dimension-hopping salesman known as Armand. He tells Chenra he's been looking for her because she's a genius in other dimensions who helped some worlds survive climate change and avoid destroying their versions of Earth. Now, she's a high-demand figure in other dimensions, who want as many iterations of Chenra's brilliant mind as possible. Armand takes Chenra to a nearly uninhabitable dimension where the air is utterly unbreathable and civilization hangs by a thread. However, Armand is quickly overpowered by a cutthroat group led by another Chenra who goes by Che. Che reveals the truth - Armand is actually sent from a dimension at war, known as the "garden world" for its excellent atmospheric conditions and billions of plant species. That world is under attack from another Chenra hoping to lead an army of refugees from dying worlds to their salvation - by destroying the preexisting inhabitants. Armand wants to publicly kill a Chenra to raise the morale of the losing garden world inhabitants, and he's not picky about which one it is. Chenra helps Che imprison Armand and steal his dimension-hopping equipment, jumping dozens of garden world refugees back to their home. Che tells Chenra she'll protect what she and the other garden world people have built, and she can't let the destroyers of other worlds corrupt hers too. Chenra agrees to help Che gather an army and fight for her home.