In a democratic socialistic reimagining of 21st century America, narrator Hugh, a journalist for a radical newsmagazine, discovers the subject of his newest assignment, Wystan Fitzroy, dead when he arrives for an interview. Wystan is a tech billionaire and creator of Affinity, a major social media platform. Upon learning of Wystan's role in starting the very magazine he works for, Hugh embarks on a journey to discover the ways Wystan influenced the 21st century.