The Digital Meltdown

Scientist Dr Martin Riley hopes to solve the world's plastic pollution problem and get very rich in the process, but the bacterium Ideonella Sakaiensis has its own agenda. Riley engineers a new strain of bacteria to tackle the ever-growing plastic pollution crisis. Initially he is hailed as a hero and awarded a Nobel prize, but the bacteria attack all the plastic on the planet, destroy the internet and bring an end to the Digital Age. Meanwhile, Mary Lee, commander of the International Space Station, orbits overhead, a mute observer of mankind's struggles on the planet below. She quarantines the Station to protect her digital companions, Jackson, and Mother, but isolates herself from humanity. Mankind stands at a tipping point as the digital era ends and technology returns to the age of steam. Can humanity recover, or will this be a final extinction event?