As a child, Max was part of a highly classified genetic enhancement project. She and several other children were trained in a deeply secluded compound to use their superhuman powers. At a young age, Max and several others escaped the compound and made their way in the world. Now a beautiful young bike messenger and thief, Max is trying to find her lost ""siblings"" from the project, but at the same time, Max is trying to dodge capture from her former handlers led by Lydecker, and is aided in her quest by Logan Cale, an idealistic cyber-journalist.

Max gets called to a secret meeting after seeing a personal ad containing her bar code tattoo number. She leans that Vogelsang claims to know about the remaining children from Manticore. He insists on a large sum of money for the information. Logan questions Vogelsang's motives and his relationship to Lydeker. Mysteriously, Logan's ex-wife reappears after many years of non-contact. Max is suspicious of the ex-wife's motives, but Logan feels drawn to his ex-wife. However, Max discovers the ex-wife has dark motives for returning. Elsewhere, Herbal is fired from the messenger service after using Rastafarian drugs. Cindy and Kendra head up a protest strike.

Max starts to feel the stress of being controlled by her genetic urges when she goes into her bi-annual feline DNA sexual urges.