In the late 21st century, Eloise Hue gives birth to a son, Arran, in a world depicted by synthetic biology and genetic editing – England's fourth industrial revolution. Stirred by an ambition to rise to the top of their social class, who are the Aesthetes, Arran goes to great lengths to keep his real identity a secret. But this becomes more difficult when he has to learn to control his newfound abilities – a psychological skillset that may in the end become his own demise.