Book excerpt: Early in the 21 Century, the Tyrell Corporation advanced Robot evolution to the Nexus phase – a being virtually identical to a human – known as a Replicant. Replicants were used Off-World as slave labor, in the hazardous exploration and colonization of other planets. Replicants who escaped and returned to Earth were hunted by special police squads – Blade Runner Units – with orders to kill any trespassing Replicant upon detection. In 2022, radical elements with the Replicant Underground detonate an EMP device over Los Angeles, destroying Tyrell Corporation’s Nexus databases, and making it easier for escaped Replicants to resettle on Earth. Soon, all Replicants are banned and the Tyrell Corporation declares bankruptcy. In 2027, Aahna ‘Ash’ Ashina, a former Blade Runner rejoined the department to hunt down fugitive Replicants. Her superiors are unaware that her loyalties are divided.