transgenic-companion

The narrator, a private investigator recently separated from his wife, relies on his transgenic companion Hamster as he pursues a lead on Jurgen von Bulow, a troubled European aristocrat who recently checked out of a casino heavily in debt. The investigation takes him from the airport to the casino and into contact with a fishboy informant, revealing von Bulow's deteriorating mental state and hinting at deeper underworld connections with the Vat Rats. The chapter blends futuristic biotechnology and cybernetic elements with noir detective tropes to establish the setting and protagonist's mindset.