In the year 2036 man kind has revolutionized the medical field. Scientist have conquered death via the use of internal nanomachines and the "Shell System", however, only the richest can afford to partake. Yozo Oba has been troubled by strange dreams and one day joins his friend's biker gang. They embark to the "The Inside", where society's elite live, however, this begins a terrifying journey of discovery that will change Yozo’s life forever.
Kate is secretly betrothed to a struggling journalist, Merton Densher. But she knows her Aunt Maude will never approve of the match, since Kate's deceased mother has lost all her money in a marriage to a degenerate opium addict. When Kate meets a terminally ill American heiress named Millie traveling through Europe, she comes up with a conniving plan to have both love and wealth.