▁from ▁the ▁Sh en , ▁Poly bibli os ▁built ▁reality ▁gener ators ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁Kal pa . ▁N atar aja , ▁which ▁had ▁re bel led ▁against ▁the ▁instruction ▁to ▁convert ▁to ▁no öt ic ▁matter , ▁was ▁left ▁to ▁f end ▁for ▁itself . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁altern ates ▁between ▁the ▁Kal pa ▁and ▁present - day ▁Seattle , ▁where ▁three ▁dr if ters , ▁G in ny , ▁Jack ▁and ▁Daniel ▁are ▁in ▁possession ▁of ▁sum - run ners , ▁small ▁stone - like ▁tal ism ans ▁that ▁give ▁them ▁" f ate - sh ifting " ▁ab ilities , ▁where by ▁they ▁can ▁jump ▁between ▁fate - lines ▁( world ▁lines ▁in ▁a ▁mult iverse ). ▁G in ny ▁and ▁Jack ▁also ▁have ▁disturb ing ▁dream s ▁of ▁the ▁Kal pa , ▁and ▁are ▁in exp lic ably ▁connected ▁to ▁J eb rass y ▁and ▁Ta id ba , ▁two ▁" bre eds " ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁future ▁city . ▁F ate - sh if ters ▁and ▁their ▁sum - run ners ▁are ▁h unted ▁by ▁" collect ors " ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁Ch alk ▁Princess , ▁an ▁entity ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁Ty phon ▁from ▁the ▁future . ▁These ▁hun ters ▁place ▁ad ver ts ▁in ▁local ▁newsp apers ▁inv iting ▁" d ream ers " ▁to ▁contact ▁them ▁for ▁" help ". ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁future , ▁the ▁Ty phon ▁is ▁destroy ing ▁history ▁and ▁world - lines ▁are ▁being ▁broken , ▁mer ging ▁the ▁past ▁and ▁the