CURE, a massive private paramilitary organization, has replaced the police force in all major cities. The general public is fully armed. The population of cockroaches has exploded.

In this world lives Palazzo, an entomophobic pacifist (and his cat, Larry). His goal is simple and yet impossible: maintain a shred of sanity as society erodes around him. Human empathy is on the decline. CURE's influence expands rapidly into all aspects of daily life. If he listens closely enough, it seems as though the sky is screaming.

Palazzo learns that his neighbor is a member of a clandestine group that call themselves "Unarmed Citizens." He attends a meeting, setting into motion a series of events that will put him in the incredible position to change CURE--and therefore society--from the inside out.