About

A world where people are judged by the rank they are assigned at birth. Ranks are almost impossible to change and dictate everything one can do. There are four ranks in total. At the top is Black. This includes heads of major corporations and politicians. It is determined solely by bloodline. Red is the upper-middle class. It includes professionals with moderate wealth, such as doctors and scientists. Red status can be acquired through wealth. Blue is the ordinary class. They make up the majority of the population and live as general workers. Movement between Red and Blue is possible. And then there is ZERO. A kind of untouchable class. This rank is given to orphans who cannot obtain a rank or to the worst criminals. Movement out of this rank is impossible, and since they cannot get jobs, people in this class often end up begging or entering the adult entertainment industry. Though they have a formal color-based name, everyone simply calls them Zero, meaning ashes. All ranks are determined at birth, and a mark is engraved on the neck during a ceremony on the first birthday. This is mandatory; those without a mark are treated as Zero. Zeros also have a mark if confirmed by the government, but over 70% of Zeros are unregistered. The population is roughly 1% Black, 30% Red, and 60% Blue, with the remaining 10% being Zero. Since the numbers are small enough not to become a national crisis, the government tends to neglect them.