In August 2071, an American stealth satellite suddenly makes an unauthorised manoeuvre from its low earth orbit position over China. Despite the frantic efforts of US Space Command, it repositions itself over London and fires its radiation missile. Seven million perish. London has to be sealed off for centuries.

In 2463, Andy Munroe, an ex-mercenary, is leading a party of archaeologists on a scuba dive down Piccadilly Underground. By chance they recover a sealed case. When opened, this Pandora’s Box reveals clues to why London was destroyed in the 21st century.

In his quest to uncover the truth, historian Dr Lal Jain sets about trying to put the pieces together. He discovers that the destruction of London might be somehow connected to Sanjay Dutt, the greatest figure of the 21st century and founder of Vivimus, the richest corporation in history. The story tells of the rise of this conniving and troubled man, and of life extension technology, which proved to be both a blessing and curse for humanity.

In this vision of a bleak future, Dr Lal ruefully compares the blighted 25th century to that of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the ’Golden Age,’ when the world enjoyed its peak of civilisation and progress. Based in the ruins of the Palace of Westminster, in a devastated and overgrown London, Lal finds himself relentlessly hunted by those who seek the case and its secrets. This leads him to fundamentally question the history of the previous 400 hundred years and, in particular, the shocking role of some of the leaders of the late 21st century.

This Orwellian novel arches from the 21st to the 25th centuries. It is an intriguing and atmospheric adventure with unpredictable twists and turns, never allowing the intelligent reader to assume its outcome.