• Chapter 1 – Anniversary
    Ping! Ping! The ring of my alarm clock sounded from the bedside table next to me. I ignored it, and it shut off. I could sleep in today; it was a holiday and I could stay home from work - although I would probably end up working from my laptop later anyway. There was a faint light coming in through the window, which I decided to gaze through briefly. The Los Angeles streets were buzzing with the beginnings of early morning life. People greeted each other on the streets as the sun made its first appearances over the tops of some of the shorter buildings. I admired the view from my apartment window, then closed the shades and crawled back into bed.
    I was disturbed again by another alarm, this time for a virtual news alert on my laptop, which I left on almost all the time.
    September 10th 2080
    Ten Years of Technology!
    Today is a day of great celebration! Ten years have passed since the dawn of our New Technology. Since the first chip was implemented, we have improved our industry by leaps and bounds. As proof of this, there is now little to no evidence of the Virus outbreak caused by bugs in the Technology when it was in its early years. Our methods for installing the microchips have also improved tenfold…

    That, at least, was true. I was around twenty-two when the Technology was issued, among the first to have a microchip installed. The scars on the back of my neck from the installation of my implant (now replaced with a smaller and considerably more reliable version) are hideous in comparison to those caused by the new, less invasive procedure. I was so disgusted afterwards; I ended up growing my hair out and let it down to cover it up.
    The only real side effect of the Technology was a change in the psyche. Scientists, researchers, and those in the medical profession related this odd paradigm shift to our newfound awareness of the virtual and industrial world. As man continued to interact with machine and machine adapted to the needs of man, the bond between the two seemed to influence the human mind in incredible ways. The influence is now more subdued, due to the increased control settings implemented in the newer versions of our microchips. We were unprepared, however, for the psychological effects that occurred when the chips were first introduced.
    Now simply known as the Virus, the lack of control over technology’s influence on the human mind caused many to develop symptoms of an unknown psychological disorder. The victims reacted to the Virus in a variety of ways depending on their previous mental structure; some went mad, some simply lost their memory, and others entered a suspended state of euphoria, feeling as if they were high. America’s government considered the victims a threat - although that wasn’t completely true in my opinion - and issued a decree stating that anyone found to be positive for the Virus be captured, put in isolation, and studied as a hope for a cure. By now, most of the victims have been found, but there are rumors that a few still wander, trying desperately to avoid confinement.


    Read the rest:
    -Preface- -Chapter One Part One: Reading Now- -Chapter One Part Two- -Chapter One Part Three- --Chapter One Part Four-