Her research to prevent death could get her killed. The BrainTrust was first built to be home for all the Silicon Valley immigrant engineers expelled by the Red government. With its growing fleet of cruise liners anchored far off the coast of San Francisco, it has become the source of many of Earth's innovations-innovations that threaten the dogmas of every power bloc in the world. As the BrainTrust's uneasy peace with the Reds, Greens and Blues unravels, the brilliant young researcher Dr. Dash arrives with plans to take the first step toward a cure for aging. Crisis follows on her heels: The man who most needs Dash's therapy is the American President for Life. His Chief Advisor will stop at nothing to grab the cure and the young scientist herself. Dash soon finds her fate inextricably bound with the fate of the BrainTrust itself. The BrainTrust has no Army, no Navy, no Air Force. Their ships have neither weapons nor armor. Yet a key question remains: Can a society that has earned the name BrainTrust ever be truly defenseless? If you like Heinlein's Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, or Vinge's Peace War, or if you simply want to explore the consequences of a future based on today's radicalized versions of America, welcome to the BrainTrust.