It is the 879th Millennium, in a time when humans have spread out across the galaxy; learned to cheat time, in a way, in order to live for many millennia; changed their forms of existence so one person can in fact have many separate bodies, identities, lives. And so when Imre Bergamasc wakes up to find that not only is a vast amount of his memory missing, but also that he is now a woman, he's confused, but not freaked out.