Ariel Jameson Crust is a jaded investigator with an unusual name. In the year 2234, the world has survived two centuries of war and famine. Despite amazing technologies, nations have shattered and society stalled. Humanity has clustered into vast cities where the world's rulers vie for power and profit. When those rulers 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. But as he gets closer to solving the riddle he learns more and more about his strange client and not for the first time, is drawn into the shadowy intrigues of the new world order.