In the year 20XX, humans share the world with another species of animals, the "9 - lives" . The 9 - lives are people who want to remain free, but they have to hide themselves or disguise themselves in order to be able to do so. In this chapter, the cat, named Nemo, complains that he has lost all of his food and is hungry. He tells his owner that he is a free man and that he does not want anyone to take him as a pet. The cat's owner, who is a member of the "Department of 9 - Lives Control" , tells him that he saw people wearing hats and scarves outside a villa in the city of Isola. The man must have been looking for a pet, he says, because all humans can be arrested for lying to a government official. The owner of the cat tells Nemo that he will never be his pet because he is so stubborn.