In a desert city ravaged by a war between humans and gene-altered hybrids, homeless children are either enslaved by the underworld or housed in austere camps called Orphan Pods. Abandoned by his mother and trapped in the Pods, sixteen-year-old Toref yearns to free his sisters from slavery.

With his friends, an illiterate mastermind and a double-amputee coder, Toref plans a rescue, but quickly runs afoul of the deadly casino bosses. His only hope is to recruit Idris, a street-savvy, hybrid hover-pilot. But her trust is hard won.

Fifteen-year-old Idris nearly died escaping her own slavery.

She dreams of finding a better life in the distant fringe territories and wants zero ties holding her back. Still, she cannot ignore Toref's anguished plea for help. He and his friends offer a kinship that Idris desperately needs, and she discovers a love she never thought possible. Saving Toref's sisters; however, means stepping into the casino bosses' dangerous web.