The story begins with the introduction of Iris, a female Blade Runner, and the best in her unit. Meyer - her boss - tells her that the blade runner division is in danger; far fewer replicants are coming to Earth, and thus the economic value of the blade runners is dropping, giving the risk of a "reorganisation". Meyer gives Iris the assignment to track down an owl - an extremely rare, real owl, named Scrappy. Iris is skeptical, since if the owl is real (and thus not a replicant) the case seems to be nothing to do with the blade runners, but she accepts the job anyway.