The story is set in a house in 2026, when nuclear war has annihilated human life. However, the technological devices in the house, such as the mechanical clock and dishwasher, continue to perform their daily automated duties, until they, too, are overwhelmed and destroyed by the forces of nature.

It is a poignant and stark example of an alternate future of the 21st century and potentially still could be so given the nuclear nature of modern warfare threats.