As sunlight filled the alley, the contents of a garbage can were illuminated to the world. However, the unmistakable sound of a mewling infant came from within. A Sanitation Drone doing its routine moved in front of the can and ran its normal scan. Detecting a weakened human signature from the can, the Sanitation Drone carefully lifted the infant out of the can and radioed for a Medical Drone. A patrolling Medical Drone responding quickly and hovered into the alley. It gave the infant an injection of Goo from one of its syringe arms, and carried the infant back to the nearest automated hospital.

Genetic tests found the infant was unregistered in the Polis' database, and because she was mixed racially, she would be very unlikely to be adopted. Rather than browse all of the genetic databases in Polis, the artificial intelligence that ran the Polis decided to raise the girl as its own.

The AI was once a man named David Risona, but over time, he had upgraded his mind and body with both cygrafts until he was simply one machine. Eventually, tiring of a physical form, Risona uploaded his mind into a massive computer network. Giving the network self awareness of sorts, Risona simply referred to himself as "the Machine" afterwards. Eventually, he began to construct the entire automated systems of the Polis.

He stayed out of the political affairs of the Polis, but for the most part, the vast majority of the Polis did not care, as they simply took the Machine and its automated services for granted. The Machine powered their civilization, yet many inhabitants were apathetic, simply caring about their daily business. They were like machines themselves, but did not care for the Machine that thought.

They were clearly removed from the Machine. Perhaps, the Machine thought, raising a human daughter could help it relate to the citizens of the Polis more. And so, the Machine started to think on one of the first things a daughter would need: a name. And so, the Machine began to think.