:YOU’LL GET used to them after a while,: Shadow says with a shrug, catching me staring at the feeding frenzy at the end of our breakfast table. :And in the meantime, welcome to our mess hall.:

The diver returns carrying a box full of square white containers and places it on our end of the table.

I look into his scuba mask as he backs away. He has a livid scar over his right eye and his face is tight with dislike as he glances at Kalli and me. The boss better get these new freaks collared up soon, or I’m quitting, he’s thinking bitterly.

I bite my lip as the man swims away. He just looked at me the same way my old classmates did. Most of the kids at my school thought I was weird because of my weak eyes and lungs, and I hated the looks they gave me. And what did the man mean about the boss getting us “collared up” soon?

After a moment, I follow Sunny’s example and pick up one of the white containers. It’s filled with a raw fillet of fish and a bowl of wakame mash that look a lot like a meal back at Safety Harbor. A pang of homesickness hits me.

:I wish we were back in our own mess cave,: Kalli says, glancing at me across the table.

:I do, too.: I didn’t think I’d been there long enough to miss it, but now I realize I felt at home at Safety Harbor. There the helper staff actually liked us, and I felt safe.

I’ve just started in on the mash when Tobin appears in the doorway followed by Wasp. I’m relieved to see she’s wearing her gloves.

:Are you all right?: I ask Tobin on a private send, even though I know Wasp is probably listening.

:I’m okay. You?:

:Okay.:

Dai shows up last, followed by the boy with the round face and six arms. That guy looks sleepy and doesn’t say anything, but he does fist-bump Rad with all six of his hands. Dai has shadows under his eyes, and the welt on his cheek still appears sore and red. He doesn’t even look at me as he takes a place halfway down the table.

:So, Ocho, what are we supposed to do with them today?: Rad asks the boy with six arms.

I try not to stare, but it’s just so freaky when he uses two hands to open his breakfast and a third to scratch his ear.

:The bossman wants them to take some computer tests in the school room,: Ocho replies. I try to focus on his face instead of his arms. I see he has a series of eights tattooed on his right cheek, and his short, light brown hair is so thick, it almost looks like he’s wearing a rug.

:I got two more of the skimmers working again,: Rad says. :Maybe we could take the newbies outside later.:

:Nope. The bossman’s orders were clear. They can’t leave the fortress unless they’re collared.:

:What do you mean?: Tobin asks sharply.

Shadow pulls down the neck of her seasuit. A black metal band about an inch wide circles her neck. :This is a collar, and, trust me, you don’t want to wear one,: she says, loathing in her tone.

:Why not?: Kalli’s brave enough to ask.

:Because they’re the main way the bossman punishes us,: Shadow replies resentfully.

:How do they work?:

:We get shocked every time we do something against the rules or something the bossman doesn’t like.: Sunny answers Kalli this time. :The bigger the infraction, the bigger the shock.:

:But that’s incredibly cruel,: I protest.

:Hey, everyone, you hear that?: Whitey smiles coldly, baring strange triangular teeth. :The Neptune princess here thinks we’re all incredibly cruel.:

:No, I think these collars are cruel,: I shoot back. :Do you all have to wear them?:

:Everyone but Ice,: Mako chimes in.

I’m not going to ask a single question about Dai. I don’t even want to think about him right now, but Ocho says, :The bossman has his own ways of making Ice do what he wants.:

It’s the first time Ocho’s looked at me directly. His eyes are as black and unblinking as Shadow’s, but I think I see a kindness in his gaze that reminds me of Tobin.

:We’re not going to collar them,: Dai says. He doesn’t glance up from his food, but suddenly, all of Kuron’s kids are looking at him.

:That isn’t fair. If we gotta wear ’em, they should have to wear them, too,: Sham blusters.

:And the bossman is going to be furious if we don’t collar them.: Wasp almost seems happy at the prospect. I’m starting to wonder if this girl’s brain is wired wrong.

:Fine.: Dai glances up from his food. :Tell him I said not to.:

:On your head, bro,: Whitey says with a shrug.

Nobody says much after that, and I’m puzzled by the tension in the room.

:Dai?: I reach out to him on a private send, but instead of touching his mind, I encounter the same strange muffled emptiness I’m starting to recognize as Wasp’s telepathic barrier.

When she sends me a triumphant smile, I know she’s blocking us. Seething, I stifle an urge to hit her.

After breakfast, we follow Wasp to the “school room,” which is really just a big computer lab with more than thirty terminals. The plasma screens and workstations are all primo tech for sure.

Wasp calls up some sort of testing program on our screens and says we have to work through several levels today. Kuron’s kids take their places at computer stations, too. Dai chooses one across the room, and Mako picks the one next to his.

:So, what are you guys doing on the computers this morning?: I ask Rad because he’s next to me, and he seems a little less scary than some of the others.

:The bossman wants us to develop our ‘natural intellectual gifts,’ as he calls them,: Rad replies readily.

:Like you have any, sparkhead.: Ocho rolls his eyes at Rad.

:Hey, at least I don’t have to spend an hour each week cutting my thirty fingernails,: Rad zings Ocho before he turns back to me. :We all studied math, English, and science until we reached a basic level together, and then about a year ago, we were allowed to start studying stuff we liked.:

:Like what?:

:Like Ocho, Shadow, and Ice are our resident brainiacs,: Rad replies, :and they study everything from philosophy to foreign languages and physics. Ice is nuts about deep-water marine biology, Shadow and Ocho love music, Sunny’s into art, and I really like engineering and electronics. Ocho and me are always building and inventing stuff.:

:What are those guys into?: I jerk my head toward Whitey and Sham.

:Well, they haven’t graduated from the basic program yet, but they’re both seriously into military weaponry.:

:How about Mako?:

Mako jumps at the mention of his name, but he’s too shy to look at me.

Shadow glances up from her computer, and her cool expression warms a little. :Mako’s crazy about plants. He has a big greenhouse up on the first dry deck. He can stay out of the water longer than the rest of us, so he’s been able to make it amazing.:

:I’d like to see it sometime,: I say. I miss green, growing things.

:Really?: Mako’s face lights up and he finally meets my gaze. :Maybe I can show it to you later.:

For the first time all morning, Dai looks at me. He frowns and shakes his head. Is he trying to warn me not to go to Mako’s greenhouse? Right now I really don’t care what Dai wants or thinks.

:Sounds great,: I say, and Dai scowls at me before he focuses on his computer screen again.

:Nere, you’d better stop talking, or you’ll never finish the first four levels of this test program before lunch,: Wasp says coldly. :Then you just might not get anything to eat.:

I could think of worse punishments, but I shove that thought away before Wasp can read it. After I answer two math problems, I reach out to my friends on a private send.

:Robry, what do you think these tests are for?:

:I’m guessing they’re intelligence and aptitude tests.:

:Do you think we should do our best on them?: Ree asks.

:You can always try to answer incorrectly and look even more stupid than you obviously are,: Wasp interrupts us, :but if the bossman finds out, he won’t be happy.:

:Didn’t anyone tell you it’s rude to listen in on private conversations?: Ree frowns at Wasp. :You’re really starting to get on my nerves, chica.:

:How dare you speak to me that way?: Wasp spins away from her computer and starts toward Ree, tugging off one of her gloves.

Before I can react, Rad darts in front of Ree and crosses his arms. :Hey, chill,: he says to Wasp. :It’s Ree’s first day and she doesn’t know how things work around here.:

:I can teach her right now,: Wasp snarls and raises her right hand. Small pale tentacles wave on her fingertips.

Rad uncrosses his arms. :You try to sting her, and I’ll give you such a jolt, your hair will curl.: His tone is light, but his face is deadly serious.

:Is this the way it’s going to be?: Wasp asks him, a furious glint in her strange amber eyes.

:The bossman doesn’t want them hurt,: Rad replies steadily. :That’s the way it’s going to be.:

After a long moment, Wasp lowers her hand. :I’m not going to forget this, either of you,: she says like a curse. She turns away and storms out of the lab.

I let go of my pent-up breath.

:Whew,: Ree says to Rad. :Guess I owe you one.:

:Nah,: Rad replies. :You don’t owe me nothin’, but you don’t want to cross Wasp again. She can make you crab bait in about one minute with those stingers on her fingers.:

Moments later, Sham starts pounding on his keyboard.

:I don’t give a squid what two x plus fifteen equals!: His mental shout is so strong that it makes my head ring. :Why does anyone with half a brain care what x equals?:

:Cool it, bro.: Whitey speaks up for the first time. His mental tone is cold and distant. :A keeper’s gonna zap you for sure.:

:The keepers can freakin’ well zap me if they want to. I’m not doing any more of these dumb algebra problems.:

As Sham raises his hand to pound the keyboard again, his whole body convulses for a long, terrible moment. Sick to my stomach, I glance at my friends. They look as horrified as I feel.

:Whitey warned you,: Rad says, shaking his head.

I reach out to scan Sham’s thoughts. He’s furious he got zapped, but he’s more embarrassed that he doesn’t understand his math problems. I almost feel sorry for him until he growls at Rad, :Keep your mouth shut, sparkhead, or I’ll rip your head off.:

I shiver as I retreat hastily from Sham’s angry mind. I think he meant that threat.

:Touch me,: Rad retorts, :and I’ll fry your eyeballs out of their—:

:Everyone, the bossman’s back,: Wasp says, interrupting Rad. I twist about to see she’s hovering by the door, looking way too eager. :He wants to see us all, right now, in his private conference room.:

I swallow hard and glance at Dai. He meets my gaze, his eyes unreadable.

:Are we going to be okay?: I ask him swiftly. We’re about to meet a man so twisted that he spliced sea wasp stingers and electric eel genes into these kids before they were born. He created dozens of those terrible shredder creatures. And my father believes he’s crazy.

:Nere, just remember, he does want you here—: Dai starts to say, and then his next thought disappears before I can read it. Dai sends Wasp a furious look.

Is my team going to be all right? I mouth the words as clearly as I can at Dai.

I don’t know, I think he replies, which isn’t exactly reassuring.

Dai stays right beside me, though, as Wasp leads us through a maze of long corridors lined with doors. I know I should be looking for labs where Kuron might be storing the c-plankton, but we swim too fast, and I’m too frightened.

Instead, I touch the minds of Kuron’s kids. Most of them dread seeing the bossman again. I can’t read Wasp’s specific thoughts, but she’s the only one who seems to be looking forward to this meeting, which definitely doesn’t make me feel any better.

At last, Wasp kicks upward to a deck access in the ceiling of Deck Four, the highest of the submerged decks, which means we’re about to surface.

:Why are we leaving the water?: I ask Sunny.

:The bossman likes to talk to us face-to-face.:

:It’s easier on him than it is on us, for sure,: Ocho says glumly.

One by one, we climb out and stand on the dry deck, but I’m surprised that Whitey and Sham seem to have trouble heaving themselves upright. They look huge and awkward out of the water. Dai climbs out last. His face appears more distant and cold than I’ve ever seen it. Now I understand why they call him Ice.

:Hang in there, bro,: Whitey says, clasping his shoulder briefly. :Maybe he won’t want to talk to us for long.:

I look around carefully. We’ve surfaced in the corner of a stark white conference room. At its center is a large white table with a dozen black chairs surrounding it. A tall, handsome, black-haired man stands before a wide plasma screen, and I can’t look away from him.

He looks just like an older version of Dai.