(from the publisher)Modern-day Japan is the stage for a new form of hard science-fiction, as author Nobuaki Tadano revisits one of the genre’s Grand Masters, Hal Clement, in his debut series 7 Billion Needles. Always sporting her headphones to try to close out the people and the world around her, Hikaru is a somewhat reclusive teenaged girl. Within her body resides another lifeform known as Ciel, a hunter in search of an intergalactic murderer intent on wiping out humanity. In 7 Billion Needles, two lives share one heart as they race to protect each other and the memories they cherish.