I live on top of Manhattan Chase in Hunger City, in a dystopian world of urban and social decay, mass surveillance and genetic mutants. I'm a rock and roll rebel and a member of Candidate, the resistance against the totalitarian regime of the city's rulers, a group of genetically engineered human-dog hybrids known as the Diamond Dogs. A woman known as Sweet Thing is tempting me sexually. I've got an eyepatch. The elevator's broke in Manhattan Chase so I slide down a rope when I'm going out.