During the last ice age, a war between advanced civilizations, ravages the world. The survivors of a remote colony struggle to build a new life and escape the grasp of far away, war crazed Atlantis.

SYNOPSIS:

A global war between the empires of Atlantis and Rama ravages the Ice Age world. For Atlantis, there are also political rivalries between the Shigar or Atlantis first party and Nelos or peace party. RISOR, the commander of a squadron of Atlantis' flying machines called vailixi, is also the son of the lord of the city of Altai and prominent Nelos party member. Altai is a colony, along what will become the Mississippi River in 12,000 years.

Risor is home on leave visiting his family and friends when he learns from his scientist friend, that the world is warming and the northern ice shelf is melting. There is a massive ice lake on the shelf and if it drains a certain way, the cities of Altai and Atlantis will suffer.

He returns to his base in southeast Asia to find JANA, a rival vailixi squadron commander and political opponent, proposing the use of weapons of mass destruction on Rama cities. Risor opposes this but loses the argument and earns Jana's anger. The raids are successful in destroying many Rama cities but Rama returns the favor and destroys Atlantean colonies including Risor's base and nearby colony.

Risor's force was away on a raid that proves a disaster. He is ordered to Atlantis, where he is brought up on charges of cowardice. One of the judges, a fellow Nelos member and war hero, gets the trial put on hold pending further investigations. Jana declares her enmity for him.

While Risor is at home, in Altai, awaiting judgment, Rama tries a last shot gambit and uses their WMDs to destroy the ice barriers on the northern ice shelf. The resulting flood destroys Altai and partially sinks Atlantis. Fed up with the war, Risor and his fellow survivors decide to break away from Atlantis and start a new life.

After Altai stops reporting to Atlantis, Jana is sent to discover why. She learns they have fled and starts chasing them. Risor's group is caught by Jana's vailixi while crossing a river. They trick and down the vailixi and Jana realizes that Risor is there. She does not have the force to stop his group and goes into an impotent rage.

Jana can not find Risor's group again and is forced to return to Altai where the Shigar are rebelling against the Atlantean Emperor. They are successful and Jana is allowed to return and continue the search.

Jana's forces corners a group from new Altai. Risor's group, on their way to new Altai, hear the attack and believe that the Atlanteans were attacking people from Altai. His people strike the Atlanteans from the rear and have success rolling up their flank. They start to get bogged down and Jana sees Risor and immediately heads for him in the hopes of killing her rival.

She corners a wounded Risor but additional Altai forces have come and her people start retreating. Jana is determined to kill him. He mocks her, "Seems like you lose again, Lady Jana." She lunges for him but before she can execute the killing blow, she is shot by Risor's friends.