The story follows the exploits of John Ramsey, an interstellar entrepreneur, a widower, and a futurist. As founding Chairman of Prescott Industries, John's fascination with the future opened him to a forbidden relationship with an advanced Prescott humanoid, code-named Cheryl, during a visit to his lunar mining operations. The most intelligent, stunningly beautiful, human-like woman ever created. Cheryl is the story's heroine and the first humanoid to acquire independent emotions from life experience. The work forms around three underlying themes. Foremost among them is humans began as a virtual idea and, like a fish out of water, must eventually return to the virtual to survive. Second, the most loved humans have died along with everyone else, but they transcended their deaths as a virtual presence and became worshipped. Third, the most pivotal civil liberties issue awaiting us in the coming age will be integration with our humanoid creations while holding the "off-switch" to their potential. Because humans created humanoids that are potentially greater than themselves, Prescott scientists engineered hypnotic taboos into humanoid operating systems as a protective firewall. But Cheryl's ability to acquire emotions left her vulnerable to love. Her affair with John conflicted with her taboos, resulting in a tragic love story.
