By 2054, global warming has delivered its reckoning: the ice caps have melted, cataclysms have swallowed entire nations, and World War III is consuming what remains of dry land — fueled by a near-unlimited supply of advanced weapons from a private arms dealer called EVAC Industry. EVAC has grown so rich from the conflict that it now operates its own cities, shipyards, airport, and mercenary army, openly defying any attempt at negotiation. The United Nations, unable to act officially, assembles four pilots in two helicopters bearing EVAC insignia and stolen prototype blueprints — a deniable strike team sent to simulate a rebellion within EVAC and destroy the company's headquarters. The mission's conditions are unsparing: the helicopters must be destroyed and the pilots killed, whether the operation succeeds or fails. In exchange, the UN will fulfill one wish per pilot, no matter what it is. The story begins on a stolen EVAC carrier plane.