Backatown: Section of New Orleans, from North Claiborne Avenue to the Mississippi River
BP collar: Child safeguard device, protects children from being kidnapped
Bruh: Common way to address men
Cell: Small school with 5 to 20 children in attendance, similar to one-room schools in 1800s
City of the Dead: Last historic, above-ground cemetery in New Orleans
Clone: Custom-designed body made from owner’s original DNA
Death cert: Death certificate, proves that the person will not resurrect, necessary document for having a child
Download: The process of transferring soul, life force and memories during resurrection process
F’true: New Orleans slang that means “for true” or a statement of truth
Flying horses: Merry-go-round
Fresh Start: The world-wide monopoly that owns the rights to resurrection; company is owned by the Domingue family
Gen-spike/spike: Highly addictive drug that causes genetic restructuring
Gris-gris: A voodoo spell
Gutter punks: Gang members in the Ninth Ward
Gutterspeak: A NOLA dialect, born in the blue collar district of the Ninth Ward
Huck-a-bucks: Frozen Kool-Aid, served in a Dixie cup
Implant: Resurrection chip
Jive-sweet: Inexpensive, legal drug; often chewed like tobacco, it stains the teeth
Les enfants sans sourire: French term that means “children of no joy/smiles,” refers to Stringers who have jumped so many times they have lost their entire family
Liquid Light: Malleable, gum-like weapon that ignites when thrown, resulting in an electrical current that wraps around victim and renders them temporarily helpless
Marker: Small tracking chip that can be inserted beneath the skin
Master Keys: Five pre-programmed commands hardwired into every Newbie at start-up
Mugs: Slang for police officers
Newbie: Person in the first week of resurrection
Nine-Timer: Person who chooses resurrection over death
Nine-Timer Scenario: Apocalyptic event where thousands of Stringers die at the same time
One-Timer: Person who chooses to live only one life, foregoing resurrection
Resurrect: To jump from one body to the next at the point of death
Sous-terrain société: Organization that helps you design your own family through social networking
Stringer: Person who resurrects, usually multiple times
The Ideal Plan: Government-enforced plan wherein all children must decide whether or not they will choose resurrection
The Grid: A three-dimensional, virtual reality version of the Internet
TRS: Federally approved operation that temporarily reverses sterilization
Underground Circus: Black-market organization that both kidnaps children and then provides their use to the highest bidders
Verse: Smart phone that is implanted in the ear
VR: Virtual reality
VR suit: Full-body suit worn when traveling from one place to another while using VR
Where Y’at: Familiar greeting, similar to “how are you?”