A good decade has passed since the 2012 Armageddon. A small group of people who survived has taken shelter in the impregnable canyons of the Fan Mountains. They managed somehow to organize their daily life and make a living. They managed it too—the remnants of an airborne brigade stationed near Novosibirsk.
But the years go by, and supplies of food and essentials dwindle; replenishing them is impossible. The planet’s climate, harshened after the catastrophe, doesn’t help either. And the survivors understand that in a few years, when everything runs out, hunger will come.
Novosibirsk residents decide to relocate to warmer regions—but where exactly???? Several reconnaissance groups set out, possible directions include Ukraine, Tajikistan, and Astrakhan. In the group heading toward Tajikistan goes Urasov—and of course, Borya, the chess grandmaster.