In 2091, the people of the small town of Postville became the center of an immense, unprecedented experiment. Utopia, a parallel virtual environment of the real world, was created for them. It was designed to grow and exist independently of the real world. The people (or rather their thoughts, knowledge, imagination and feelings) became part of this new virtual world, allowing its central server, the Mastermind, to develop and prosper.

Utopia became a “purgatory” for its people as it promised to grant them the ability to create their own paradise. In exchange, the Mastermind was allowed to freely scan each person’s emotions, thoughts and feelings. The experiment turned out to be such a success that the Mastermind offered Utopian citizenship to the rest of the non-virtual world. Over time, the experience of Utopia became so popular that its inhabitants eventually outnumbered those remaining in the real world. Thousands of Utopia’s users refused to exit the virtual world. Hoping to gain immortality each inhabitant sought to become a “digital god” and create his or her own paradise. The physical world fell apart in their absence.

The deterioration of the physical world prompted the government to establish the Department of Anti-Utopian Affairs (AUA), created for the sole purpose of sending elite teams of agents, called Removers, to Utopia. It is only possible to extract a person from Utopia at the moment of his or her virtual death. The agents’ missions were to disconnect the victims caught in the virtual web and destroy the Mastermind. Unfortunately, at this time all the agents have vanished into Utopia and are not expected to return. Even those who remained devoted to their duty have experienced no security and have failed in their mission to destroy the Mastermind.

The players have a choice: they may conform to the ways of Utopia and abide by its laws; or, if they figure out how to free themselves, they can attempt to destroy the Mastermind and rescue the other hostages trapped in the great virtual dream.