The protagonist is an agent of a not-so-nice galactic empire run entirely by humans. The key technology is a sort of slow transporter, where an object (or human) is disassembled in one location, stored, and then reassembled at a later time and/or different location. Recordings can be edited to reassemble someone in a more youthful body or to modify a person for a different planet's environment. The computers that control this process are super intelligent, but programmed to be willing slaves to humanity. The protagonist is a troubleshooter of sorts, traveling between star systems to find and solve problems. He is a unique individual, no more than one copy of him ever exists in the galaxy. At one point in the novel, mention is made of the empire's judiciary, which is made up of replicated individuals; having the "same" person on each court ensures consistent decisions throughout time and space.