"[citation needed] Several Axiomatic stories involve "neural mods", usually presented as small tubes containing powder inhaled through the nose, which alter the brains of their users in highly specific ways with advanced nanotechnology.

In the collection's eponymous story "Axiomatic", the protagonist enters a store selling mods not only for every variety of psychedelic experiences, but for altering one's personality traits, sexual orientation, and even religion.

The protagonist seeks a custom-made mod that will suspend his moral convictions long enough for him to murder his wife's killer.

Also, by transplanting the jewels into cloned bodies genetically altered to develop without brains, they can live youthfully forever.

Due to limited computing resources, however, uploaded people are simulated slower than their physical counterparts, making communication between them difficult.