Ralp=?h Bu@/rton ^is*\] a %miner who *.is trappe\\d f))or several days as\ a res!ult of a cav(#e-in;\`..= Whe n _?(he finall%y ma\na/g\es to/ dig .#%@hi (mself !o( ?ut, he ^%realizes =/that al!(l of m; ankind seems to ha]$ve been d:estr?[oyed in% a nuclear holocaust. He travels to
New Y+o
,rk City only to; find it_; 
?!!desert *ed. Making a life for him$+self there, he is f@labbe_rgast] ed to ,/
+eventual\ly fi ?:nd Sarah C(randall, who a%lso manage\^(d \.(to ,$?s`urvive. T`=oget her, [`; th [ ^ey f,#orm a close friendship +:un=
!/til the arrival @.of]` Ben)son]_@ Thac
?+*ker who has managed to pil#\=o^-)t h.,i`.s `sma# ;ll b!!oat in.=*to the city's
@+harbor. At th\ is poin\t the tens=/io!ns- rise between t,he ];^thre,/@]e,@ ]^ particularly between Thac;ke$*#r, who is ^whit_,e and Burton, %w%ho is b#.:la`$/[ck.