Sixteen-year-old Nate has spent most of his life hiding in The Withers-the destitute, quarantined slum across the river from the cosmopolitan Gathos City-dodging slave catchers and corrupt peacekeepers, avoiding chem fiends, and scavenging tech to sell at the market. But when his body begins rapidly degenerating, he must choose between working for a shadowy terrorist organization that has the means to keep him alive, or staying-and dying-with the boy he loves.