A group of scientists are sent to Antarctica in 2113 A.D. to investigate strange seismic activity. They stumble upon markings similar to the Nazca paleoglyphs and discover an underground cavern with a part of a huge tower sticking out of it. Using their cameras, the team transmits images to their Command Center that reveal a star chart on the tower's surface. The tower then emits a high-frequency noise that causes the team to writhe in pain and die, followed by the Command Center crew. Further analysis reveals that the beacon was directed towards a planet called Elysium beyond the solar system. The story follows Van, an 18-year-old pizza delivery boy who competes in a popular futuristic sport, turbo jai alai racing. He is in love with a ballerina named Lydia and they both dream of escaping the polluted city. Van enters a race hoping to win tickets to a galactic resort where Lydia can audition for a ballet. At the same time, an Elysian ambassador is destroyed by the humans' deep space observation vessel, triggering a full-scale attack on Earth. The stadium where Van is racing comes under fire, and he tries to rescue Lydia as they flee through burning streets and find safety in a fall-out shelter after a series of narrow escapes.