As a result of the Third World War, the Earth changed the tilt of its axis, living organisms mutated en masse under the influence of radiation, and the atmosphere over the entire planet was covered by constant storms, which made air travel impossible. A small group of survivors, mostly US Air Force personnel, attempt to travel from the western United States to Albany, New York, where they received a radio signal. They travel in specialized 12-wheel armored personnel carriers, designed to survive in harsh conditions, which can cross the "Valley of Damnation" - the only possible route between zones of intense radiation.
Along the way, they lose one armored car, confront mutated flora and fauna, and wild gangs. They also pick up two survivors along the way.