The year is 2044 in the midst of a new world order and the European Federal State of Germany. All resources have been privatized, including the police and unemployment services. Norman Bauer, a down-and-out freelance detective is tasked with solving a murder case on the outskirts of his hometown. He finds clues to the crime in a menacing and mysterious environmental no-go area called the "Zone". Broke and bored of his everyday life, Bauer accepts the assignment despite its dangers. His investigation uncovers not only the murderer, but a confounding conspiracy involving the officials in the government that employ him. Increasingly he finds himself tangled in a web of mystery and insanity that distorts his understanding of his own consciousness. This blurs the lines of his escapist virtual, and explicit realities.