In this setting, Bil and Alce meet, marry, and, their sense of history whetted by a few old books and photos, decide to rebel. They set out to find the central computer bank and pull the plug. Captured and imprisoned on a Floating Island (where the computers put criminals to get their just desserts), Bil and Alce escape. Their odyssey is gripping suspense and wonderful entertainment, with an ingenious depiction of man vs. machine.