Flip Dopplinger is an undercover special agent of the FBI specially requisitioned to investigate an incident involving the reclusive brilliant singer-songwriter Jeff Ahrens (known also as "Sartorious X") where Ahrens had procured a batch of "stir fry" that made his visiting friend Dietrick Marlowe (a freerunner from Berlin) smile while exiting his house and crossing his lawn. From civilian Base X surveillance there had been much concern about Marlowe smiling because no one thought that or knew that. Dopplinger's task is to investigate and at all costs figure out the secret ingredient (Ingredient X) involved in Ahren's stir fry. Dopplinger is a well-known face from being a comedy show host on TV for his day job, and his private interests include thorough objective studies in sex. During the beginning process of investigating, Flip encounters frequent interaction from various interlopers who seems strangely intent on holding and captivating his attention. One Dan Copanke, an acquaintance of Ahrens, practically sweeps over to intercede on day one, and seems overly intent on normalizing Dopplinger's mind from sexual interests and portraying Ahrens as legendary and unapproachable. Alternately, various ex-girlfriends from Jeff keep appearing to speak. From all these testimonies a picture begins to emerge of a reclusive land baron, a "Count Dracula" of the modern era with brutal intent to harm enemies, who happens to also be a musician/songwriter (flies around on brooms at night, the legends say). When Dopplinger finally catches up with Sartorious X, he finds an ordinary short and chubby man living in a small domicile who feels isolated and perplexed, but is not forthcoming about his recipe. Among the real concerns involved are intrigue over Sartorious's lover, nicknamed "Natalie of the Weeds" who may actually be a deceased early 20th century writer communicating through a warp in time. Sartorious has before experienced the success of an indie music hit with the help of "Hoofska," a big city promoter and DJ who handles the monetary end of Ahren's music-making, but whose obviously dubious methods have kept Ahrens running in the same circle interminably. Musically, Ahrens has come back from his "Erie sound" era due to the intervention of a "reverend in the mist" who dissuaded him from his life's direction, and sent him into a phase of producing "monster jams." Even a confession by Dan of telling tall tales is not enough to end government suspicion. Ahrens and Marlowe must go on a space mission in their own space ship (acquired by creative fundraising) to speak with a rogue Muslim on the run from Earth nicknamed "Farenger X" or "The Deep One" in order to acquire the legal answer to end the threat of an Islamic fatwa which hangs Dan's life in peril. In doing so, they hope to bring an end to the widespread anxiety which seems to be fueling endless suspicion and speculation.