A fiendishly potent construct drifts in the Esperi star system, somewhere within the Upper Leaf Swirl, a remote zone in the northern bounds of the Milky Way. Chance isolated encounters by scouting ships from the Culture and Zetetic Elench civilizations reveal the technological capabilities of the so-called Excession object greatly surpass all known advancements, Culture-based or otherwise. Information leaks from the highest, most-secretive circles of the Culture's Special Circumstances division, drawing the attention of many Minds throughout the galaxy. Barely ascertaining the enigmatic craft's true potential, with full-grid manipulation alluding to universe-warping capabilities, the Culture's craftiest war-veteran Minds, the Interesting Times Gang, must mobilize all forces within proximit