Real life and politics in the 21st Century are even stranger than the elaborate world of virtual reality in which modern citizens spend most of their time. Cryogenically frozen for fifty years, Neil Hamilton was resuscitated and just started his new job as department head of the Federal Bureau of Utter Nonsense. He's a naive outsider trying to make it on the Washington inside. Thanks to virtual reality, Neil receives any number of unexpected visitors. One is Harvey Fisk, an old buddy from Neil's time spent working for the Los Angeles Tribune. Another is Janet Kennedy, the Secretary of State and Neil's boss, who just happens to closely resemble the woman Neil loved before he was frozen. When Harvey disappears in the virtual reality world, Janet asks Neil to go find him. It turns out the Secretary of State is about to marry Harvey, but, first, he must be found. With Congress about to open for the year-and the wedding scheduled for the same week-they descend into a world of secrets and deception that makes virtual reality seem tame.