In a society governed by the markings of your skin, Adrian is one of the rarities - one of the Defectives. On his own since a child, homeless and lost, the world is against him. The day he presents his Orientation should be one to celebrate. The day he presents should be the one where he finally finds his place in the world. But for Adrian... that's the farthest from the truth. His life gets turned upside down as he struggles to come to terms with the changes, learning to trust those around him despite his every instinct not to.