"Mine has been a life of much shame."Tokyo, 2036 (Showa year 111): a revolution in medical treatment has conquered death...By means of internal nanomachines and the "S.H.E.L.L." system whose network controls them, human beings suffer no diseases, require no treatment for injuries, and are guaranteed a 120-year lifespan, free from illness. Yet this consummate social system warps the Japanese nation in a host of ways:...