Paradisia is an artificial planet whose 150 million inhabitants live under an extremely harsh police state. A computerized surveillance system analyzes every word Paradisians say, looking for hints of subversion. The computer has its limitations however, and in particular has difficulty understanding metaphors and allusions. To get around it, the Paradisians have developed a kind code language called Koalang (“connotative-allusive language”) made up exclusively of metaphors and allusions to fool the computer and to allow them to speak freely. Rinah is introduced to Koalang surreptitiously by a local journalist, Zinia Vett, who hopes Rinah can help her escape from the planet.