Beneath London's sedimentary layers of silt and clay, peppered with prehistoric flint and bone, a team of scientists conjure a future for their corporate masters. Unbroken clouds seep constant drizzle over the city, turning buildings green with algae. Human civilisation is in rapid decline, the world ravaged by rampant consumerism. Ever since the Automation Revolution, fewer people have jobs or contribute to the system and Workers live with the constant threat of AI replacement. Sustained unemployment results in demotion to a non-Worker or simply a Non. Life is even worse for the unregistered who are most likely to be disappeared, but anyone can be buried in a disused service tunnel or be thrown half-dead into the Thames. Robert Corrigan has been out of work for six weeks. If he doesn't find work soon, he'll be demoted. The prospect of managing Project Egret is therefore an opportunity he dares not turn down. Corrigan must face the scientific and ethical challenges while navigating the CEO's ulterior motives. He will be subjected to constant and invasive surveillance, and he knows his masters are prepared to sacrifice anything for power. Gregor, the latest AI Guardian model can potentially evade scrutiny and may become a powerful ally or a terrifying enemy. Immortality may be no more than a corporate dream but if Corrigan isn't careful, he'll awake to an even worse nightmare.
