Angel is a water knife who lives in the Cypress 1 arcology of Las Vegas, Nevada. Angel waits for Charles Braxton, a lawyer for the Southern Nevada Water Authority, to deliver him the paperwork stating that a place called Carver City lost an appeal to maintain legal rights to the water it currently uses. Braxton tells Angel that Carver City will be scrambling to file a new appeal, but that Angel has until the courts open tomorrow to “enforce our legal rights” (5). During their conversation in the arcology, Angel details how he doesn’t much care for Braxton because he’s a soft bureaucrat. Angel only puts up with him because he works for Case, Angel’s boss. Case is known to many in the area as the “Queen of the Colorado” (6). She deploys water knives like Angel to cut off the water supply of other cities so that Las Vegas can maintain its stranglehold on the Colorado River. Angel leaves the Cypress 1 arcology with Case’s orders to cut Carver City’s water.

Angel arrives at the Mulroy Airbase where he presents the paperwork with the court decision to the Nevada National Guard. People who live in the area sometimes refer to The Nevada National Guard as “Camel Corps” or “those fucking Vegas guardies” (8).