In this novella of ideas set in a dystopian near future, a young woman strives to break free of the weight of her grim past and avoid the bloody future that life has in store for her. Against the background of the death agonies of a pariah state, Daria Rigoletti transforms herself from contract killer to people-smuggler to cult leader, but circumstances combine against her attempts to break free of violence. Will the mysterious Mercurio help her - if she doesn't kill him first? Will any other man reignite her human feelings and her passion for love and life?