Synopsis: Marto Boxter is starting work on the sixth volume of his travel journal. He is a member of the Interconnected; humans who have upgraded their brains with implants to allow instantaneous communication. The Interconnected have no money, only popularity. Marto seeks to raise his popularity or Merit, as they call it by writing about his travels. Before he can leave his home of Reverside on The Hudson, a woman named Helen arrives in his town. She says she has a message from Marto's mother. Marto is confused because he thought his mother was dead. Before Helen can share the information, she is whisked away by Interconnected security. Helen is from a Traditionalist family in Pittsburgh opposed to the Interconnected. They see Marto's culture as lawless, godless, and fundamentally inhuman. Helen has left that world, looking for a better sense of belonging with the people her family considers "xombies." She follows Marto as he unicycles around New New England and finally catches up to him just as all communication between the Interconnected goes dark. A plot by a Traditionalist named Barnabas Yoniver IV, focused on Marto's hometown has released a virus into the Interconnected hardware. Barnabas has installed himself as the self declared ruler of that town, and soon, of all of New New England. Unfortunately for him, just as he is learning more about the technology of Reverside, he gets word of an attack on his hometown, New Atlantic. He leaves his brother Daschel in charge of the takeover. Meanwhile, Helen catches up with Marto and they find Maxtor Uber-G who is pondering the existence of a hidden AI in the Interconnected network. They part ways at the culmination of the issues in Reverside, and Marto finds the message Helen was carrying causing him to make a fateful decision.