The NEST are a nano-robotic life form that live in an isolated part of this desolate world. The orbital research station on which they were created, has crashed in the African veld. This warm, dry environment is not the ideal for the replication of the synthetic NEST. Their advanced technology has allowed them to terraform the grasslands into a cold, sterile tundra that is rapidly expanding. The NEST are now in direct conflict with their neighbors - and Mark will need to find a subtle or extreme solution to this problem.