Ovo 132 |top| -

In the sterile, white-tiled laboratory of the Linford Institute, the glass case labeled sat under a constant ultraviolet hum. Unlike the common eggs found in the world outside, OVO 132 was a masterpiece of bio-engineering—a shimmering, pearlescent sphere roughly the size of a grapefruit, weighing exactly 132.5 grams.

Julian opened the box. Inside, resting on a bed of black silk, was a heavy brass key fob. It wasn't for a car. It was the master key to the OVO Sound Lofts—the private suites where the real deals were made, where the tracks that topped the charts were mixed in total secrecy. The fob was engraved simply: 132 . ovo 132