From the introduction: You can get anything in Alpha Centauri - even a new body. But with new worlds, plug-and-play memories, and no fear of death, strange new risks arise. That's where you come in. As CTRL agents, you're dispatched to deal with threats to the worlds. You'll get a new body if you die, but you'd better save up if you don't want whatever (or whoever) they've got lying around.