The Contaminants

When the American government’s attempt to “purify” Earth causes a worldwide nuclear holocaust, teen friends Jessil and Soraj are among the few to escape the planet. For the past three years, they’ve been in orbit on a cruiser designed to regenerate Earth’s ecosystem.

Soraj’s father leads the process to salvage a location for the cruiser’s safe return. Only one year remains for the regeneration to be complete but due to damage at launch, the cruiser’s communication links with the planet are inoperable. Everyone aboard can only wonder if the process worked.

But then a mysterious distress signal arrives from Earth. Jessil is desperate to discover who sent it despite the risk the planet is still toxic and radioactive. She convinces Soraj to join her on the reconnaissance team that descends to a world very different from the one they knew.

In such a strange land, Jessil and Soraj’s search-and-rescue mission encounters numerous challenges—including one from an unexpected source. The two friends must weigh if they should go on even though their success could doom Earth’s recovery.