Escott sat up to keep from literally climbing the walls. “Auntie Jan, how much longer do I have to be here?”

“I’m sorry, Essy. We’re just doing the briefing, so you won’t get written up. Getting an Elemental in here’d be faster, though. Sure you don’t want one?”

And have someone invading his mind? No. “I’ll pass.”

“I strongly recommend that you don’t. Your father’s got a wild record of his own. I doubt he’d be voted in as Chief again at this point.”

Jan talked him into the Elemental interrogator in the end. It wasn’t that Escott had anything against Elementals. Most days he felt it was the opposite. Since imps were failed attempts at making Elementals, real Elementals resented the ‘trash.’ Technically, Escott was the son of said trash.

He could forgive a lot of things, but not the bad-mouthing of the one to give birth to him.

But he endured it, though, mostly to keep everyone happy. Lilah could do without the fanfare, and Escott’s father, the Chief, could do without the unwanted attention.

“The quarantine still in effect?” Escott asked, exiting the room.

“Fraid so. But we’re working on it.”

A female enforcer in the distance caught his eye. “And her? Won’t her husband go nuts with fear?”

“He’ll understand.”

“It’s their first child,” Escott insisted. “After twenty-one years of trying.”

“They’ll be fine. We’ll be fine,” Jan promised. “Just get on duty and help me calm these bastards down. Also....” She caught Escott’s arm. “We’re running a projection of an interrogation to try to get some leads. You should take a look at what Lander was transporting. This is no longer petty theft perpetrated by the village outcast. It’s gone up to an official crime now.”

Words Escott didn’t want to hear. Lander was a good guy. He’d been through so much so young. Never knew his mother from birth, lost his only crush to a best friend; the list got sadder and sadder from there. Considering that Escott was that best friend, he felt obligated to do all he could to ease Lander’s suffering.

Never had he imagined that his friend would do something beyond repair.

Escott entered the viewing room. The projection on the screen was of an interrogation room behind a small crowd. Beyond the glass, Escott saw nothing but a pale outline.

“What are we looking at?” Escott whispered.

His father’s head snapped up. “Essy? Maybe you should sit this one out.”

Escott ignored him. He wasn’t going anywhere. His defiance was met with resistance at first, but in time they tried to talk around him.

They fucking succeeded in doing it somehow. The conversation faded in a blur, ending at, “Okay then, file charges against her and send out the description. We should have locked her up.”

“Her?” Escott peered at the projection on the wall. Beyond the glass there was nothing, so he stepped back. He was looking at a pale body so white he could hardly make it out. Real imps had trouble seeing some colors. Escott reasoned that maybe he’d inherited that somehow. If he hadn’t known the woman was on the screen, he wouldn’t have realized that someone stood beyond that glass.

A step back showed him it was less of a woman and more of a girl—a teen.

“She didn’t talk, and we’ve got no identification for her,” Jan said. “She was in that box stark naked. She’s not one of ours.”

“Maybe someone outta stasis?” Dad suggested.

Escott nodded, proud that he’d thought along the same lines.

“Doubtful. We’ve been good about clocking all DNA of those new from stasis,” one enforcer said.

The Chief turned to the image on the wall. “Are you trying to say she’s a Topsider? She’s from beyond our force field? That’s impossible.”

“But what if it’s not?”

“Look at her. No way she’s from Topside, not that pale.” Dad insisted, “Speed up that database presentation. This kid might have just proved our case about why we need DAWN fully functional. If she’s really from Topside, we have to throw her ass back out again.” He paused before leaving, asking Escott, “Is there any way I can get you to not go out with the search? I don’t want you interacting with this scum.”

Escott raised his right eyebrow, much like his father did whenever he didn’t appreciate the cheek.

“I’m trying to be an enforcer. How can I do that if you’re tripping me up?”

Grinding his teeth, the Chief said, “This isn’t the farm where you’ve caught an animal that snuck in. This is real life and if that kid’s what I think she is, I want you ten miles from this case.”

Escott folded his arms. “I’m trying to be an enforcer,” he said again.

His father rarely saw eye to eye with him. At this point, it was almost automatic. Everyone said it was because they were so similar. That was nonsense. Knowledge was the gap. Sometimes Escott felt he knew so little about normal things to the point where he’d seek out other Newbreeds because at least the sheltering was so similar that he could feel less alien.

“I could have handled it if you’d just let me,” Escott whispered, half pleading. “I wasn’t the reason she got away.”

Studying him, his father said, “Essy....” He hove a sigh and shook his head. “Just stick to catching stuff. Once this quarantine’s up, you can go back to ripping this place apart, all right? For now, just stick with the other Newbreeds. They’re gonna start climbing the walls soon.” His voice sounded reasonable, but he had the nerve to raise an index finger at Escott’s face, saying, “But you stay the fuck away from this girl. You got me?”

Jan groaned inward, muttering, “Oh no, the ultimatum.”

The Chief cast her a glance and walked away. Jan, who knew them too well, apparently, turned to Escott and said, “Essy, how about you take a stab at the training room? It’s nearly eighty percent unbeatable. Come on.”

Escott watched after his father. “Would I get arrested if I ran up to him and kicked him in the ass?”

Chuckling, Jan led him away. “Yeah. You actually would. But I’d worry less about him and more about you having to go home and explain that bit, right?”

Escott groaned. Something else concerned him. “Has Lilah called back?”

Jan didn’t answer for some time. “She hasn’t yet, but Gus-Gus didn’t take it well when I called with news of yet another sickness. Took me ages to assure him I wasn’t affected.”

“Yeah.” Escott held out his arms, frowning. “Just Newbreeds and imps, huh? How fucking convenient.”

“We still don’t know that it affects full blown imps. But it definitely affects E’s so all the better if Lilah keeps her distance.”

That made sense.

As they traveled the long hall, Escott caught sight of the rush of people hurrying to mobilize and go after whatever dangerous creature Lander had brought in. Escott hesitated to ask about it; instead, he said something else that concerned him.

“I’ve never seen a sick Elemental in my life. Other than....” He didn’t dare bring Lilah’s family up, but Jan understood.

“Yes. And this illness is similar to it. Its administration is similar, too. Explosion, instant rotting flesh. I’m more than a little pissed about it, to be honest. So far, most E’s are holding up.”

“Auntie, stop saying E’s, it sounds so damn old.” Escott laughed. “A consequence of bringing people outta stasis or your hubby mentioning a gray hair?”

Jan chuckled at first but slowed in her stride. “Wait, I have gray hair?”

Escott shrugged. “Fucked if I know. Apparently, I can’t see white all that well. That girl on that projection was practically invisible.”

“That is interesting. I’ll mention it to the boys.”

The boys; the other imps who were actively moving around. Jan was the only one Escott knew who always referred to imps with affection. As many imps had married women, many of whom were left behind during the great journey to stasis, one would think there would be solidarity there. There wasn’t. Imp wives did get along—at least they did until people started coming back from stasis. Since then, things have been tense.

As far as Escott was concerned, imps were heroes. Those women were mostly abandoned by their families while pregnant because they could neither give birth in stasis nor sustain a pregnancy for x amount of years. Imps helped them survive the Great Divide. Imps helped them deliver their babies when the time came. These imps protected them and the offspring from other imps who refused to leave the underground but came out now and then to snatch people away. And these imps worked tirelessly under unfavorable conditions to ensure the survival of people who grew up hating and fearing them.

So what was the fucking problem now?

Escott caught sight of said problem as he walked past the breakroom—a poster of Karen Blackwell.

His sigh made Jan nod. “She gets to me, too, but people have a right to put up whatever advertisement they want. She has a broadcast in about five minutes. You listening?”

Many enforcers wouldn’t meet Escott’s gaze as he passed. “Newbreed ears, Auntie. Can’t avoid said piece of shit broadcast even if I wanted to. I’ll be listening. Might as well hear what new shit allegations we’ve gotta deflect.”

“Here’s your bunk,” Jan said, indicating a door. “Gave you one on your own.”

Escott smiled. “Thanks.”

Jan shook her head. “I swear, you are the weirdest Newbreed alive. Even the boys like sleeping in close proximity of each other. You do realize that it’s dangerous if you start hibernating and nobody realizes it?”

“Haven’t hibernated yet,” Escott said. “But if I do suddenly, don’t forget to tell my dad I said rot in hell.”

“Right.” Jan rubbed Escott’s head. “You don’t mean that. You two just need to readjust. You’re his oldest and he’s got a hard time letting go. Now with this thing with Lilah’s parents. It...it’s wearing on him.”

Escott could understand. That didn’t make it any easier. “I just wish he’d stop sheltering me, that’s all. I’m an adult.”

Jan fought back a smile. “You’re in such a hurry to get into adulthood, huh? Well, come on up. We’ve got more bills and less optimism, let me tell ya.” She rubbed Escott’s head again. “And don’t let Ms. Blackwell’s broadcast get to ya.”

“If she wants us gone so damn bad, why not let us have our own school like Newbreed mothers are requesting?”

The idea seemed sound enough to Escott, but it was the only thing Jan seemed vehemently against.

“No. You guys were here first. This is your home. You’re not going to get run out by the bastards who left us to die so they could fall asleep and wake up safe and sound. We’ve made this place. If they don’t like it, fuck them, as you’d say.”

Escott smiled. “Sounds bad when you say it. Almost makes me want to change my ways.... Almost.” He stepped into his room but paused. “Auntie....”

Jan turned back to him. “Yeah, button?”

Pride was often Escott’s downfall. He couldn’t ask for much information without feeling as if his father was secretly saying A-ha. See? You are still too young if you don’t even know that much. Whatever Escott needed, he could usually read about. But even that was limited because apparently, before the great divide, technology was much better and all stories were in databases.

Rather than hunt this word down, Escott came right out and asked, “What’s a slug, by the way? Everybody kept saying that word when they talked about that translucent girl. They don’t mean the animal, right?”

Jan studied him for some time and finally said, “No. They don’t. It’s a Topsider phrase, it means whore.”

Always forthright with information, Jan waited. Maybe she expected Escott to ask more, but Escott couldn’t do anything with this newfound knowledge. Nineteen years alive, living around other Newbreeds, and this was a new word for him.

“And what’s a whore?” Escott hazarded.

This time when Jan opened her mouth to answer, she hesitated. “It’s...it’s someone who has sex with others for money.”

Jan didn’t shy away—she rarely ever did. Escott wanted to ask more, for example, why someone would do that rather than work but this gap in his education was telling—he was proving his father right about being ill equipped for this job.

“Essy, leave this assignment to us. All right? Just know that it doesn’t concern you. Keep out of trouble and wait out the quarantine. We’ll get it done.”

And then Jan walked away.

Escott stepped into his little room and flopped down.

Tonight’s broadcast from Karen Blackwell had the usual energy and hate.

“Newbreeds, as they’ve chosen to call themselves, are a mistake in need of correction. Now, some people would call that cruel, but my words aren’t meant to hurt anyone. I come from the Low, below the surface where I was born and raised before we were forced up Top to where we are now. In my time, normal women didn’t mix with mutant imps—they were seen as animals. And nobody wants to remind us why. That’s because imps regularly ate any and all humans who wandered into their domain. Now, I can appreciate desperate times twenty years ago when we didn’t have a choice. But while many will try to romanticize Newbreed children, those born of desperate, normal mothers, to ravenous, deadly imp fathers, I will be the only one brave enough to tell the truth.

“Imps are vile.”

Escott cringed. He wanted to go out there and smash that radio.

“Imps are wild, and they are sexually perverse. How many of these Newbreeds were actually wanted? And how many were raised because of obligation? And how many were born from a woman’s free will? Now, some might argue that these women wouldn’t stay for so long if they weren’t free to, but I ask you...who would want them?

“And the way imps breed them. A newborn pregnancy takes three months. One family can produce an almost infinite amount of children. Is it right to leave women to this horror? Is it fair? Our leader, Mr. Harris, has a way with words—a way of making it seem like this is an active choice, but he won’t say what I will.

“At this rate we risk being overrun. An imp is a failed attempt at an E. The only natural beings granted these powers are the Elementals and they now make up less than ten percent of our population. Elementals are the ones who build our houses, build our irrigation, repair our streets and yes, fight against Topsiders and other imps trying to assault us. Shouldn’t we work on preserving them instead?”

Escott watched the ceiling. He wasn’t sure about the number of Elementals still around, but he decided to check on it. The sexually ravenous bit he’d like to choke her for was the one lie he’d have trouble disproving. Yes. Imps and their wives had countless children at this point, but from what he’d seen, it wasn’t from the imps’ doing. As imps couldn’t even get aroused without the emotion from their partner coupled with her blood, Karen Blackwell was not only painting a dangerous picture, but one that would be hard to prove.

For whatever reason, people would find it easier to believe in sexually deviant mutants rather than very interested women. He cringed and turned on his side as something caught his ear.

“Limit them. Newbreeds have yet to offer children of their own. Limit them. Let their genes be diluted by marrying normal people. And more importantly, put a limit on the number of Newbreed children allowed per family,” Karen Blackwell said. “With enough effort, Newbreeds and even imps can appear human. Allow them to teach their children how to achieve this and bring back the rest of our people from stasis. Our estimates show that within the next thirty years, Newbreeds would integrate and disappear from sight.”

Limited births? Escott tried to wrap his head around that. It seemed unlikely that Karen could keep people from having sex, although, the thought of her picture on the ceiling as a deterrent might work.

The door swung open. “That bitch.” Someone marched in. “She actually said it. She actually fucking said it!”

Not believing his ears, Escott sat up and put his feet on the floor. A pink face stared at him from below a wave of blond hair. He regarded his sister with disdain.

“What. The fuck. Are you doing here?” Escott asked with as much composure as he could manage. “Does Dad know you’re here?”

“Of course, he doesn’t know I’m here. I’m invisible. I just walked right past him.”

Escott fought back his contempt. “You’re not invisible. So how the hell did you get in?”

She squinted at him. “I told you. I’m—”

“And what’s with that wig?”

Brushing her fingers against her hair, she blushed. “You can tell it’s a wig?”

He covered his face. “How the hell did you get in with the quarantine, Gwen? And I swear, if you say the word invisible again, I’m letting out my meager claws and ridding our family of you.”

Arms folded, Gwen muttered, “Fine. I won’t say invisible. I was see-through.” At his growl, she said, “Less worry about that and more worry about the fact that Karen Blackwell is suggesting aborting Newbreed babies. How about that?”

Escott leaned away. “Aborting?”

“Killing them before they arrive.”

That seemed unlikely. “Thought Newbreed pregnancies were the most stable around? Hundred percent birth rate, and with the least risks.” When she didn’t answer, he shrugged. “No, I don’t read but I do hear stuff. Stop worrying about shit like that. Karen Blackwell’s harmless.”

Gwen flopped down beside him. “She was until she came in to report a crime against Princess and Dad sent her packing.”

Rosemary and Princess Blackwell, Karen’s ‘adopted’ Newbreed daughters she toted around like pets.

Even Escott lost interest as soon as those names popped up. “Right. Well, let them see that you’re here. Not for nothing, it’s a quarantine.”

“Are you sure? ‘Cause everybody looks fine.”

But she didn’t. In fact, she looked blurred. “Stop moving around,” Escott demanded.

Gwen asked, “What? I’m staying perfectly still.”

A sharp pain tore through Escott’s chest and he keeled over.