It's just another ordinary day at the port of Piraeus. Cargo ships, their hulls scarred by salt and time, grind against the docks, disgorging shipping containers by the thousand. Inside: bio-microchips from the neon warrens of Shanghai, synthic blood canisters from the floating markets of Tenochtitlán Norte, olive oil laced with illegal cyber enhancers, and the occasional god-forged relic smuggled past customs with a wink and a bribe.
Above the chaos, the Gaze and Melody, a pleasure cruiser dripping with gold leaf Corinthian columns and holographic laurel wreaths, cuts a serene arc through the Aegean. Onboard, magnates from the high-rises mingle with underworld kings, all sipping retsina spiked with synthetic ambrosia. Below deck, deals are struck in body language and ancient whispers.