Some men weren’t born to follow…

In the 23rd Century, science’s triumph in prolonging life comes at a terrible cost. Widespread famine and overpopulation spurred the creation of the Leader Party, a Malthusian-inspired dictatorship that controls the world with a ceaseless grip. Though a mysterious rebel group, The Underground, works to dismantle the police state, they’ve been dealt a potentially fatal blow—a traitor has infiltrated their ranks. Now, the success of a crucial operation, and perhaps the entire resistance, lies in the hands of one captured rebel, Petr Clayborne.

Raised by the state after his father was executed for treason, Petr never loved the Leader Party. But unlike his dad, he didn’t see any point in opposing it. That all changed when he found out he and his wife Alda would soon have a son of their own. Under the Population Code, unsanctioned birth is a crime punishable by death—for the parents…and the child.

Captain Kurt Hartog, the Population Control Corps’ most ruthless leader, will stop at nothing to crush The Underground. His brutal interrogation threatens Petr’s sanity, and his life. But Petr guards the rebellion’s most powerful secret. For the sake of humanity, for the sake of his son, he must be willing to do anything to protect it.