When you live on a planet with 160 billion people, space, water, food and even air are at a premium; being unemployed and in debt is deadly serious. With every action monitored and rewarded with a karma credit or debit, everything you do is literally life changing. Do well at work, gain new skills. Drop litter, receive a fine. Chronically in debt and ordered to work in the sewers, Mai Xio can see only one way out. She has to volunteer for the Culling! A state sponsored game where players fight to the death to Ascend.