In 1998, Los Angeles has become immensely crime-ridden and decadent, ultimately being directly governed and patrolled by the recently created United States Police Force. Two years later, on August 23, 2000, a massive earthquake strikes the city, the San Fernando Valley floods, and the Los Angeles area turns into an island from Malibu to Anaheim. A theocratic presidential candidate declares Los Angeles to be sinful and punished by God.Snake Plissken is captured for another series of crimes and is scheduled to be exiled to the island. Upon his arrival for deportation, Snake meets the president and is offered the mission of retrieving the weapon. The president says he will give him a full pardon if he is successful. The president indicates he does not care if Utopia is returned or not, declaring her a traitor. To ensure his compliance, Snake is infected with the man-made Plutoxin 7 virus that will kill him within 10 hours; if he completes the mission, he will receive the cure.
