In 2018 Manchester is a rotten city propped up by a few bad men. After the cuts, the toppling of its flagship tower, the riots and the terror, the promise of a prosperous North is gone. The first industrial city is dying, its people left to themselves, and with the rise of nationalism, it's only getting worse. Now, the only currency is trust, and Brian Meredith - addict, depressive, wheelchair-bound - has new trouble with old problems. It doesn't help that Brian is a mermaid - or at least thinks he is.