Mars is a desolate world. Largely forgotten by Earth, the planet remains helples
s in the stranglehold of Arnie Kott, who as boss of the plumber's union has a mo
nopoly over the vital water supply. Arnie Kott is obsessed by the past; the nati
ve Bleekmen, poverty-stricken wanderers, can see into the future; while to Manfr
ed, an autistic boy, time apparently stops.
When one of the colonists, Norber
t Steiner, commits suicide, the repercussions are startling and bizarre.