1905: Syphilis and prostitution flourish in a small town somewhere in the Danube monarchy. In the midst of the night stands Marie, a young prostitute, who has learned how to live in this shady environment. Marie's encounters with johns have many faces; notorious bon vivants, an old man who brings cake from his wife, and Count Albin, a lofty gentleman whose behavior is very strange. Before Marie sleeps with him, she must tie a blue band with white dots around her thigh. The next day she encounters the Count shopping with his twelve year old daughter, Anna. It's apparent that Anna who wears a blue band with white dots in her hair is afraid of her father. Marie is deeply touched by Anna's emotional state which provokes her curiosity about the child. As she investigates Anna's situation Marie's humanity is revealed. It's ironic that a girl, Anna, of noble origins finds a motherly role model in Marie the prostitute.

Therese lives in two worlds. As housemaid she has fallen in love with the sophisticated Countess Meta von W. As a young woman of poor/humble descent, she has to watch as her sister Magdalena is being hauled into the abyss by a devilish sectarian. Together with this notorious pastor, Thomas Pöschl, Magdalena conducts exorcisms at her community/in the village. Small children have to renounce Satan, a young woman is brutally exorcized and later proclaimed a saint by Pöschl.

Germany in 2020: the state social security systems have been dissolved and will be regulated purely by the private sector from now on. The insurance group TRUST.Wohltat is at the forefront. Well-heeled customers take out pension contracts by buying a "genetically clean" person - a so-called talent - and having them work for TRUST.Wohltat for a good return. 28-year-old Luca Permann is one such talent. His owners order a child from the company - bred from Luca's genetic material. They choose Hannah Bitlik, a young, genetically clean woman, as the surrogate mother. When Luca is confronted with the fact that, contrary to all expectations, he has a genetic defect, he begins to doubt himself for the first time. The child is to be aborted, but Hannah refuses and breaks off contact with TRUST.Wohltat...