While ruling for ages, Aria Governess Supreme has kept a tight rein on her subjects, eliminating free will through brain-computer interface and hippocampus manipulation. Aria commands life or the disposal of it without fear of retribution or affliction of conscience. When a nuclear holocaust destroys the world she created, her disaffected scout, Cliff, gazes over the barren land seemingly devoid of life and wonders what is next in his journey to survive. Even with the employment of Aria's scientific prowess, one subject remains untamed. Emery, both a hindrance and a marvel to the Governess Supreme, has tested the bounds of Aria's resolve at every point in her life. Despite the brain-computer interface and governing control, Emery has managed to lean on the teachings of her Grand Nanny for guidance, fight the restraints placed upon her, and ultimately find her way through life. Now as she wanders the desert afraid and alone, Emery vacillates between her memories and her harsh new reality. But when her path ultimately crosses with Cliff's, everything is about to change. In this post-apocalyptic tale set in the remnants of a destroyed United States, an untamed subject and a defiant scout attempt to survive in a world run by governors desperate to exert absolute power.