They were not destined to meet. At least on this side of life. Their destinies were once and for all divided by the Spear - a high-energy impulse that pierced the Earth through and through and provoked a global Catastrophe. Almeut Talkue distinguished dozens of states of ice, found accumulations of oil that flowed from destroyed offshore wells and pipelines, and could talk to spirits. Albert Naruta, or simply Alka, served in the landing force, knew how to fight with and without weapons, and dreamed of taking revenge on “Baron” Gilmanovsky for his bride. But the fates of these guys, so different from each other, were determined by a mysterious discovery made in the Arctic. Everyone jumped at the rare chance to become the owner of unique genetic material: from the Russian military to the all-powerful Enclave Security Service. And how much do two separate lives mean when the fate of humanity is at stake?