Wow, this shorty packs a punch! The gist here is that violent criminals are now dealt with by turning them into Nulls. This transition is done over the course of a few months where the prisoner's identity is completely erased. Everything is taken away. All facial features removed and a permanant mask installed, to name just a few of the alterations. The Nulls are then set "free" where most citizens are armed with devices that can painfully shock the prisoner. Unfortunately, homeless people and the other Nulls are not willing to help either for the most part. So, it is only a matter of time before the prisoner's life is somehow extinguished, either due to starvation/malnutrition or by the hands of Hunters, who are citizens who go out hunting for Nulls.
This story is about one such Null, Brian, who was wrongly incarcerated for murdering his wife. It tells of his ordeal and what he endured through his transition. It is short, but tells so much in that short time. The details are vivid and put you right into the cell/ alteration rooms and streets with Brian. It was difficult not to feel for him and his plight and very hard not to be happy about the ending.