Ariel Jameson Crust is a jaded investigator with an unusual name. In the year 2234, the world has survived the Correction and the Famine Wars that followed. Now clustered into vast cities, the world's rulers vie for power and profit. When they need secrets uncovered, they turn to A. Jameson Crust Investigations. As the American Central Republic prepares to elect a new Governor, Ariel is asked to uncover the identity of decades-old human remains. It is a mystery that stretches from remote no-man's lands to the pinnacles of wealth and power. But as he gets closer to solving the riddle, Ariel learns more and more about his strange new client and is once again drawn into the shadowy intrigues of the new world order.