In the middle of the 21st century, Earth suffered massive climate, economic and political upheavals. The global order was overthrown and a new balance achieved, with emerging countries now the new strong nations. Old Europe, symbol of a prosperous Western world, went into considerable decline and had to face the depletion of traditional energy resources. Romane, a young female police officer in a run down Paris, is investigating the case of a vanished body. Her case will take her to New York City and the headquarters of a corporation that is conducting mind-boggling genetic manipulations in utter secrecy. That secret research is even rumoured to have a name : The Mermaid Project !