Most of the action takes place on the web, a virtual world created by computers.

Computer users no longer use keyboards to interface with computers; they simply switch on their computers and, with the aid of their implants, seem to merge into imaginary realities. They begin at their virtual desktops, areas in their web sites where they collect and send e-mail, and store the programs they use to move about the web.

All the images are symbolic of programs and data files.

The main characters of One Is the Loneliest Number are "sim" enthusiasts. A sim is a program created to simulate the structure and behavior of something else. For instance, Maj designs a sim of a real-life experimental aircraft from the early era of jet propulsion. Another character designs a sim of an old railroad engine. Sims tend to be very detailed and can represent almost anything...