Kurtis Veerstra is a Navy SEAL without a navy. After a successful tour of duty in Chile, the need for standing military forces in the United States – and indeed the world – has vanished amidst the realization of a globalized megastate. Geopolitical boundaries have evaporated, while the standard of living for the citizens of Earth has skyrocketed.

This unprecedented utopia, one that Petty Officer Veerstra helped bring about, was the vision of Soteira, an inexorable AI that captured the United States presidency in 2032. A mere six years later, Soteira secured itself as overseer of the entire planet. But old concepts of freedom die hard, and not everyone is happy being governed by an artificial entity that is hooked into everything. Kurtis, one of many instruments that executed the will of the synthetic dictator, is seen by anti-AI dissidents as the key to overthrowing the usurper.

Within the swaying palms of hedonistic Los Angeles, opposing forces move to counter one another. Oblivious to the machinations, Kurtis and his loyal wife Melina are manipulated by agents on both sides. Struggling through harrowing events unfolding over the span of a wild night, the couple discover that the significance of the conflict may indeed decide the fate of 8 billion souls.