“They’re trying to find answers to the problem, they’re trying to mitigate the damage by spreading out the stress points, manage how much power is in the city at one time, and do productive hero work while they’re maintaining those balances and figuring out those things. Just… elsewhere. That’s what the Wardens are really about. Like park wardens, maintaining a park by managing who can go in, managing resources…”

“Got it,” I said. I nodded. “Got it.”

“Part of the reason I wanted to bring Gimel’s prisoners to Shin instead of letting them run around the city was to do the same thing. Manage the stress.”

“And if you’re to be believed, they didn’t tell us because they didn’t want us to panic. Because… Dauntless-like events and broken triggers are going to get more common?”

“They are, but that’s not the ‘because’, Vicky,” Amy said, hunching her shoulders together, leaning forward. Dot clambered up her arm to her shoulder. “The ‘because’ is that Scion’s species’ life cycle didn’t stop just because he did. Even if you don’t fertilize an egg, the chicken is still going to lay it. All of the passengers are going to fumble together for connections, gather and translate power, and they’re going to… try to spread themselves to other places of interest.”

“Just like that.” My voice was quiet. I hugged my knees. “If you’re to be believed.”

“I am. Teacher believes it too, but he has bigger plans. He thinks he can control the damage and control what happens when it all comes together. He actually has something in common with one of your teammates, because when I look at the landscape—”

“Amy,” I cut her off.

She shut up.

“Can we put the fifteen minutes on hold? Can you give me a second?”

“Yes. And yes,” she said. “I could, um, get you some water.”

I thought of all the things she could do to a glass of water.

“Do they have bottled water here? Any sealed drinks?”

“Not really. I mean, yes, they have capped drinks elsewhere, but not in the prison.”

“Then no. No drink. Just give me a few minutes.”

“Okay,” she said. “I could use a break too, actually.”

A few seconds later, she was gone, the door shutting. Me in my cell.

My hands were shaking, and it wasn’t Amy’s hypothesis.

I took a deep breath, trying to center myself.

I figured out a way to undo and then start unwrapping the bandage on my hand. Loop by loop. Their method of bandaging wasn’t any different from ours on Gimel and Bet.

The skin had been connected by tight, tiny threading. It was swollen, but when I touched it I felt sensation, like I might feel when my foot was slightly asleep.