Having wiped out every major city on the planet, the Kyra are herding survivors into safe zones where they have promised to re-establish order and provide the basic necessities. Fences are erected to keep out the failed hybrids, known as “Dregs”. Meanwhile, the successful hybrids are sent away to fight in the Kyra’s war.

That is Christopher Randall’s primary concern when he and his family are taken to the safe zone in New San Bernardino: What if they get conscripted, too? Making matters worse, the zones aren’t as safe as the Kyra claim. Dregs prowl the streets at night, and the Chimeras that hunt them aren’t much better. The zones are little more than concentration camps with a singular goal: Breed humans to produce a new generation of conscripts.

Chris quickly realizes that they’ll be better off in the Wastes, but escaping won’t be easy. The refugees have tracking implants with remote kill switches, and attempting an escape could be the last thing the Randalls ever do. Yet when Christopher’s daughter, Gaby, begins drawing too much attention to herself, he realizes that if they don’t escape soon, his family will never be the same.