Smooth

Sixteen-year-old "31" lives in an underwater facility where holograms define reality and genetically engineered children form a brood-the only family 31 has ever known. Created to become Earth's future leaders, they must choose their own gender, skills, and appearance. When the brood learns that one of their own has chosen to be recycled into genetic sludge of future generations instead of completing the selection process, 31's sense of purpose crumbles. As betrayals mount, additional members of the brood are recycled, and their holo-world malfunctions with fatal results.

Driven to understand why anyone would embrace death over life, 31 begins to question everything, even the brood's mission. With the selection deadline mere hours away, 31 must peel back layers of deception and societal prejudices to choose gender identity, or embrace internal truth and refuse. Even if it means death.