Maria Barbizan's life appears to be devoid of significance. She is lonely, and neither at her job nor within her family does she exist. She abandons her purse and old life and enters a mysterious contest to win... a car. Locked in a room with four individuals, each more odd than the last, she must complete a series of tasks – a "competition to examine the very nature of mind-body articulation," led by Homunculus, a fascinating and curious host.