Julie, a girl from the valley, meets Randy, a punk from the city. They are from different worlds and find love. Somehow they need to stay together in spite of her trendy, shallow friends.

In the year 2053, the earth has been devastated by a military experiment gone awry. The ozone layer is gone, radioactive clouds drift across the plains, and unpredictable, intense bursts of ultra-violet sunlight (called "brights") incinerate anyone caught outside. In these conditions, a group of travelers are trying to get from the frontier town of Jericho to the paradise safe haven of Neon City: A doctor named Tom, an old man with a mysterious past, a prostitute, a spoiled rich girl, an untalented comedian, and a bounty hunter named Stark with his valuable prisoner Reno. They board an armored truck converted into a passenger transport driven by an ex-convict named Bulk. Along they way, the travelers deal with passing though radioactive Xander clouds, 150F degrees of "brights", unstable paved roads, and nomadic motorcycle riders who kill anyone venturing though their territory...