A thousand years hence, all the major cities of the world
are at sea, floating on huge rafts, using ocean currents to
navigate. Sal, a young girl on the Sydney raft, training as
a navigator, visits Shanghai
which is the largest raft city of all, on holiday. She hopes
to find the famous genetic scientist, Jezzy, who will modify
her body to give her gills. She wants to be like a mermaid,
free to live in the sea with the fish.
She does meet the old woman but when she leaves her
laboratory is arrested as a deserter and mutineer. She is
flown back to her home raft for trial. After a tribunal she
is released after all to join Jezzy and like many others, is
modifed as she desired.
There is a strong public reaction against Jezzy’s
operations. In fear of being marooned to die on land, Jezzy
and her young changelings break away their section of the
Shanghai raft away drift off independently.
Sal finds a lover and gives birth, but a violent storm
damages the raft severely and they struggle to avoid
sinking. They can survive only by beaching themselves. Sal,
the young navigator, plays an important role in achieving
this.
The remnants of a land based tribe are encountered but more
dangers must be faced from marauding gangs of pirates.
The rafters make plans for rebuilding their city and
returning to the sea.