BasedinpartonKågerman’sexperienceworkingforViceMagazineandthenovelDieGelehrtenrepublikbyArnoSchmidt,thepictakesplaceinanalternativerealitywherethecoldwardidnotend,andanatomicbombhasstruckSovietKazakstan.AyoungSwedishclubkid—workingatoneofthehippestmagazinesintheworld—ishandedthereportingassignmentfromtherestrictedzone.