Gideon squinted his eyes against the unfamiliar brightness around him. It was sort of greenish, unlike the cold blue light of his former home. Warm air embraced him like a hug. He leaned into the light. For a guy who was supposed to be dead, he had never felt more alive. As his head cleared, Gideon tried to process the last 24 hours. He knew his time in the PODZ (Principal Occupation District Zones) was limited. Anyone who could not physically contribute to the operations of the underground dwellings could not stay. An accident ten years before rendered him a tetraplegic, stealing his ability to walk and limiting what he could do with his arms, especially anything that required any kind of manual dexterity. He worked in his therapy group, trying desperately to develop some kind of useful skill, but his hands would not cooperate consistently, tending to spasticity instead of control. Age 25 was the outside limit of non-productive care, and Gideon's birthday was the week before. On Sunday his family visited the unit where all "inferior" people lived until they were either restored to the community or exiled to Topside. His mother was distracted, chasing the 4 year old twins, born unexpectedly. His father was grave, but with the birth of the twins, Gideon's place as the male heir and carrier of the family name could be filled by one or both of the boys. His 15-year-old sister, however, could not control her tears. Gaylyn and Gideon shared a bond that most siblings did not. It may have been the ten-year age gap, required by PODZ, that made him feel protective of her. He loved her fiercely, and she never missed a day spending time with him. They talked about Topside, what it might look like after 50 years without humans on it. The clear domes above the PODS central court sometimes revealed hints of greenery, but mostly distant skies with occasional clouds. Since the accident, Gabriel hadn't seen the sky, but Gaylyn talked to him about stars she saw, and the pattern of clouds. She tried to describe the rain and lightning of summer storms, but he couldn't imagine what she saw.

Gaylyn was the last to leave the room. She held his hand as long as she could, but their mother finally pulled her away. Gideon had not seen her since. He figured that his expulsion was near. Last night his caregiver had brought him an extra capsule with his nutrition. He had a cup specifically designed so that he could drink for himself. He swallowed both pills and bid goodnight as she left the room. Within a few minutes, he felt himself drifting, thinking of Gaylyn's brown eyes brimming with tears and hoping she would be okay. The next thing he knew, he was in this green and sweltering place.