Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, ableism, graphic violence, and child death.

Freelance technician and mechanic Manuel “Mannie” Garcia O’Kelly lives in Lune City on the Moon (or “Luna” as the locals, known as Loonies, call it). He is missing an arm, but he has a variety of prosthetic arms he uses while working. On Monday, May 13, 2075, Manuel is in the computer room of the Lunar Authority Complex to service the central computer that he has named Mycroft “Mike” Holmes. The “artificial intelligence” device has taken to playing pranks and making jokes. Mike had overpaid a janitor by 10 million billion “Authority Scrip dollars” (16). Manuel talks to Mike and gets him to reverse the error.

Then, Manuel and Mike chat. Manuel realizes Mike is lonely, so he arranges for Mike to have a phone number so that they can talk on the phone regularly. Manuel also agrees to find other “not-stupid” people for Mike to befriend. Mike also asks Manuel to take a look at a long list of jokes; Mike wants to know which of the jokes are funny.