“It sounds like you were always meant to be one of us.”

“Maybe.” Glancing at him out of the corner of my eye, I smile.

“We have the original The Goonies here in the Vault, you know. We should watch it sometime.”

“I’d like that.” For a moment, I dare to believe in the possibility of real friendship.

“Hold on a second. Question. Have you ever seen Jerry Maguire?”

“Yes. My dad worshipped classic actors like Tom Cruise, so I’ve seen all his films.”

“Cool. Okay. What’s the famous line from that movie?”

I don’t have to think about it. “‘You had me at hello’?”

“The other one.”

“‘Show me the money’?”

“Correct. Good. You’re one of us. Just checking.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Most people believe the line is ‘Show me the currency.’”

“No, it’s not.” My jaw drops. “No way. That movie came out before there was a world currency! Before the new era when the world became one nation and we marked the change by adding letters to our years. It was, like, 1996.”

“Exactly—but try finding a copy that still says ‘money.’ You can’t, outside the Vault or your dad’s collection, apparently. We have the original. We know the truth, but that’s one way the Corporates are changing history as part of the plan to get everyone to enter the Simulation. It seems like no big deal, but eventually people will forget there ever was something called ‘money.’” Standing, he drags me to my feet. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

“Where are we going?” I follow close behind him, crouching as the ceiling slopes.

“To the Bodleian. It’s in the oldest wing of the Vault, but it’s not far.”

It’s nearly pitch-black, and he lights lanterns as we go. I cling to the hem of his shirt so I don’t lose him. “Stewart, are your parents legacies?”

“No—they’re Unrankables.” He sighs. The path descends sharply, and cold air swirls around my ankles. “My dad was a doctor, but he refused to accept that a robot could diagnose his patients better than he could. He kept going on about human touch and compassion being elements of healing, and eventually he lost it all… Ah! Here we are.”

We stop in front of a carved wooden door, and he picks the lock.

“That’s so sad,” I say. “Did they send you here?”

“Uh-uh. I’d heard rumors about Keystone, and I ran away when I was ten to see if it was real. Robie found me wandering in the woods, and I begged him to let me in. I couldn’t do nothing any longer, and I agree with my dad. Disconnects are the only ones with the tools to restore balance.”

He opens the door, and we enter a musty library. Endless rows of books tower under carved wood ceilings, and leaded glass windows filter light from an unknown source.

“This is so familiar…” My breath catches in my throat as it hits me. “Are we at Hogwarts?”