Volcanic forces have devastated and reshaped the world. North America is largely underwater, and governments of surviving nations have had to create alliances to support the survivors and refugees. During this chaos, a Chilean mathematician created Furcal’s Formula, which seems to explain the universe. The formula contains equations that allow humans to do seemingly impossible things, such as fly. The “Center” is the organization in charge of researching and disseminating the infinite capacity of Furcal’s Formula.

Nneoma is a mathematician working in the Biafra-Brittania Alliance. Other mathematicians discovered a formula for human flight, but when a man crashes to the ground while trying to fly, people start to worry that Furcal’s Formula is flawed. Nneoma tunes out the controversy as she makes her way to school to teach a class of teenagers about her career in “griefwork.” She is one of six grief workers in the Biafra-Brittania Alliance. Nneoma previously worked in New Kenya with Kioni Mutahi, her former girlfriend and a grief worker focused on refugees, who has recently disappeared.

Amadi, Nneoma’s driver, wants to stop by her father’s place, but Nneoma refuses to see him. After her mother died, she tried to eat her father’s grief even though it is forbidden to work on one’s own family.