Undername
An undername is a unique, earned moniker used exclusively by the underkids living in the Under of the floating city of New San Francisco. Because life beneath the streets is so disconnected from the topside world, an underkid's real name is almost never spoken, and their undername becomes their sole identity.
Earning an Undername
Undernames cannot be freely chosen or self-assigned. According to underkid tradition, a name must be earned by accomplishing something significant. As Rylan explains to Elanil, an underkid must complete a highly dangerous job, successfully kill an enemy, or demonstrate an exceptional talent to be granted a name by their peers.
Until a child earns an undername, they are generally considered outcasts and are rarely allowed to officially join a Crew. Rylan himself struggled with this for years, desperately wanting a name so he could rejoin Shock Crew. During a frantic escape from a topside subway train, he briefly hoped he might be named "Bullet", and later hoped his rescue of Elanil might earn him the name "Jump" or "Floatcatcher," though he kept these wishes to himself.
Crucially, an undername can only be granted by a fellow underkid. When Elanil attempts to give Rylan the undername "Ryl", he angrily rejects it, stating that because she grew up with clean water, parents, and safety (and not in Newfris), she has no right to bestow a name upon someone who had to bleed and starve to survive.
Etiquette and Secrecy
In the Under, it is considered highly impolite to ask someone how they earned their undername, though many names are blatantly obvious based on physical traits or skills.
Using one's real name is a massive taboo, though it is not strictly against the rules. Real names are considered relics of a past life that the underkids have left behind. However, revealing one's undername to an outsider or a topsider is strictly forbidden. When Phoenix (Megan) secretly rescues the captive Eric (Quynn) from the whiproom, she refuses to tell him her undername because Her Majesty's Navy would excommunicate her for it. Instead, she gives him her real name—Megan—knowing that there is technically no rule against it, since real names hold no value in the Under.
The only people who use real names are those in incredibly close, intimate relationships, such as Beam calling Phoenix by the name Megan in private.
Exceptions to the Rules
While the rules governing undernames are strict, powerful Crew leaders sometimes bend them:
- Self-Assignment: After realizing the Under is no longer safe and deciding to form a new rebellion, Dust (Dillon) decides to change his undername to Dill to hide his identity. When Phoenix points out that underkids cannot name themselves, Dill counters that since he has personally bestowed hundreds of undernames as a Crew captain, he can spare one for himself.
- Choosing a Name: When Dill officially welcomes Rylan into Shock Crew, he attempts to grant the boy the undername "Fall" in honor of his fallfoiling magic. Rylan rejects the name, respectfully asking to be called "Ryl" instead to honor the memory of his friend Elanil. Dill and the Crew accept this chosen variation.
Notable Undernames
Many undernames perfectly encapsulate the defining traits of the children who bear them:
- Speed: The lead driver for the gearheads. He is short, quick to anger, and jokingly claims he earned his name because he is "quick in bed."
- Small: An incredibly tiny boy who is an expert at stealing power cells.
- Crow: A burly Shock Crew guard who wields a massive, rusted crowbar as his primary weapon.
- Wrench: The lead mechanic who repairs the stolen undercars.
- Grit: A boy who is perpetually covered in the dirt and grime of the Under.
- Con: Rylan's closest friend, who earned her name because she is a master con artist capable of manipulating gullible topsiders.
- Queen: The ruthless leader of the Under, who adopted a royal title to force her subjects to address her with deference.
- Phoenix: It is never revealed why Phoenix acquired her undername, but in her mind she associates it with her survival of the fire that burned down her topside home and killed her mother and brother.