One hundred years pass. The Earth is ready for habitation. But it is a far different Earth than the one last seen so long ago. New plants and new forms of wildlife populate the planet, from different worlds as the Womb saw fit.
The survivors, as expected, have not aged a day since the bombs dropped. New alliances have been made; relationships that should have led to the birth of children flourish unhappily without babies. The original wildlife is still with them, along with their generations of offspring. Every human now realizes their role is to support that of the animals.
And what of poor six-year-old Suzy, as she is mourned and forgotten by her grandfather and her sister?
Scotty is hailed as The One to restore domination by the humans, even as they all fail to realize how. Struggles ensue as the survivors discover the perils of the new and amazing life delivered to the planet by the Womb. They fight to eke out a role in the new ecosystem that has put them at the bottom of the food chain.
As the survivors begin to develop a new civilization for themselves above ground; the new natural order thrusts women into positions of power. Will the softer of the species spell success for what is left of the human race? Or are the mistakes of the past doomed to be repeated?