Michael Brin, a homicide detective who has recently been transferred to mpStation-4, a remote space station, is sent to investigate a new murder. According to his partner, Jensen, who is already at the scene of the crime, a man’s body has been found in an alley, his throat slashed. There are no eyewitnesses. Jensen says that the victim, Jeffrey Wright, owned a cloned woman, a companion named Deat. She is missing. After arriving at the scene and inspecting the body, Jensen tells Brin that he should go to Sartex headquarters, the biotech firm where Deat was created, and talk to Supervisor Wilson, a man who might know where she is. As Tracker Brin drives toward Sartex, he wonders if Deat killed Jeffrey because she wanted his money. Then Brin begins searching the Sartex database, trying to find out more about the companions, cloned human lovers, but discovers the need for a password. The only way to get any more information is by speaking to Supervisor Wilson, face to face. What will Brin discover after he enters Sartex headquarters?