From the introduction: You know about the Minigame Corporation: みにがめ? It's pronounced "mee-nee-Gah-may," and means, roughly, "Aquarius in the Body." In the states it's better known as the Aquarius Augmentation Company, and it is the most powerful organization in the world. Goverments, media empires, even the megacorps are powerless against its influence. And why? Because Aquarius runs the cybernetics. From neural stimulators to bionic arms to artificial hearts if you want to succeed in competitive business, or feel safe in your own block, or not have to worry about dying... well, then you see Aquarius. And you buy their reasonably-priced augments, and their free installations, and their incredibly expensive anti-rejection drugs. And if you think it's fucked up that soldiers and autocrats and global organizations are all enslaved to one little company, you keep it to yourself, because if you don't, you'll disappear one day, and the cops will all turn a blind retinal implant. OR, you fight back the only way you can. Aquarius is huge... it's not just that the left hand doesn't know what thir right it up to, it's that the left thumb doesn't know the pinkie exists. AAC's internal computer network is old, bloated, and all to accessable for someone who knows how to speak to computers. In the real world, Aquarius is untouchable. In the datastream, it's a playground... and suddenly you're the big new bully.