The first manned spacecraft, fired from an English launchpad, is first lost from radar, then roars back to Earth and crashes in a farmer's field, and is found to contain only one of the three men who took off in it; and he is unable to talk but appears to be undergoing a torturous physical and mental metamorphosis.

The drive from Riverside, California to Phoenix, Arizona is affectionately known as the Cactus Trail. Starting in Riverside, sights of note include: the Mission Inn in Riverside whose unique style was the brainchild of Frank Miller; the Chapel of St. Francis in Riverside, which because of its dedication to aviation is the site of many weddings associated with aviators; the Camelback Mountain outside of Phoenix, so named for its shape.

On an isolated cacti farm, three stressed out birds ask a cowgirl to help stop the elusive Ax-Man.

Ben is given a Cactus as a gift for his 18th birthday. He places it down on his desk. As this cactus's life passes so does Ben's. He graduates high school and finds himself in a tumultuous period of his life. Full of emotional highs and lows we witness the life of this cactus and an uncertain slice of Ben's life.