The novel begins from the perspective of Spaz, a young teenaged boy living in a different reality where people use mindprobes (or needles jammed directly into their brains) instead of reading. There are different probes—"trendies, shooters, sexbos, whatever you want" (7)—for different experiences. Spaz has a medical condition that prevents him from using probes because the electrode needles will give him seizures.

Spaz is recording an eyewitness account of when the Bully Bangers “went to wheel the Ryter for his sins” (10).Spaz lives in the Urb (an urban area of the region), which is controlled by gangs, and his latch is controlled by the Bangers. The only other place to live is Eden, and in order to live there you have to be genetically improved (known as a “proov”). Spaz used to have foster parents, Kay and Charly, as well as a younger adopted sister named Bean, but that part of his life is over and he doesn’t like to talk about it. Spaz met Ryter, an old man known as a “gummy,” when he was sent by the Bangers to steal from him.