31 December 1994

The story takes place in the fictional English city of Wellington Wells, which is now on the verge of collapse in the mid 1960s. The residents of the city, seeking to forget an unspeakable horror they committed, began taking a hallucinogenic drug called "Joy" that makes them happy, but also leaves them easily controlled and lacking morality and understanding of the long-term consequences of their actions.

A newspaper typist, sierra Kimberly, 23, becomes dubbed as a "Depresser" after choosing to stop using Joy after suddenly coming across stacks of letters that triggers unwelcome emotions she never felt before. She decides to pursue the truth behind her past and the existence of joy.