corporate-intrigue

The chapter opens with Ben Reich awakening from a recurring nightmare involving a mysterious and terrifying figure called The Man With No Face. Reich, a powerful corporate executive in the year 2301, struggles with fear and hatred linked to this faceless enemy, which his Esper psychiatrist suggests is connected to financial and transportation intrigues involving the D'Courtney Cartel. Reich's internal conflict and paranoia set the stage for a confrontation with this unseen adversary, highlighting his psychological turmoil and the complex corporate environment he inhabits.

The chapter follows a detective working for the Protein Police in a near-future Boston, investigating the mysterious death and kidnapping of a child named Harry Day-Lewis. The detective reflects on his troubled past and addiction, while collaborating with his partner K-mart to analyze the case involving advanced biotech childminders called Blankies and the corporate interests behind them. They prepare to confront the company Ixsys, suspecting corporate malfeasance in the failed kidnapping attempt.