Nailer lives on a beach in the Gulf Coast region in the future.  Society is divided by classes: the business affluent and the laborers.  Nailer survives as a laborer.  He works on the light crew scavenging copper wire from wrecked oil tankers and ships.  Each day he works hard to bring in his quota so he can continue to work and live in dismal conditions on the beach.  After a city killer hurricane passes through the Gulf area, Nailer and his friend, Pima, discover the wreckage of clipper ship on a nearby island.  With all the swank crew dead, Pima and Nailer set out to scavenge the ship of all its valuables but as they begin to cut the rings off the fingers of a beautiful young passenger, Nailer sees her eyes move.  Pima urges Nailer to kill the dying swank, get the gold and get off the wreck. Nailer has another idea.