Naomi, a female cyborg—half human, half robot—recounts the story of China and America’s intertwining relationship a century from now. The center of power has moved with the setting sun; China, not America, is the dominant power, creating a world where anyone age 50 or above will end life in a state of viral ecstasy, part of a system known as “Harmonious Recycling,” to make room for billions who are young. Naomi, the cyborg, is beyond prescient. She calculates the future based on billions of possible scenarios extruded from a Database of Crowds—their behavior, reactions, and muted outrage at the diminished life chances that both Chinese and American societies present. Naomi belongs to an elite class of “reverse journalists” (RJs). Her job is to script the future as though it has happened – and then it does. Her task is not to seek the truth in random events, but only the truth of probable outcomes. She evaluates all possible social events following a predictive algorithm, then scripts the desired outcome to ensure the smooth progression of history. But Naomi’s complex inner life gets in the way of her missions. Her recollections of an early love affair and marriage to a Chinese doctor continue to haunt her. After her training in Taiwan, and then China as an RJ, she receives extra memory, diamond-fiber alloys to strengthen her limbs, along with AI modules and a “Logos harp,” the “Harp of Wisdom” (shortened to “Logoharp” for branding purposes.) The Logoharp is a universal language translator enabling her to write, speak or broadcast in any language, directing the activities of publics worldwide. At first, Naomi is obedient, thrilled to carry out Directorate orders. But when she's called on to disgrace the architect of the Harmonious Recycling System, she grows uncomfortable, then furious. Ultimately the cyborg must make a choice between her human misgivings and the “Synaptic Armies” that control her mind, directing her to maintain social order at any cost.