“Don’t be an idiot,” Kaine snapped. “You were just at the World Summit. You know what’s happening. Every government in the world is practically begging the VNS to do whatever it takes to save them. When this is all over, the VNS will be the most powerful entity in the world, and they’ll never relinquish that power. They’ll never let the threat die down enough to allow that to happen. They’ve almost won already.”

“And what about you?” Michael asked. “What’s your role in all this?”

“My role?” he repeated. “My role is that I’m their enemy, just as you are. It was their plan all along. They used me. They used you. You have to admire their brilliance. By the time we turned against them, us turning against them is exactly what they wanted. The Hive was the only wild card, and now they’ve figured that out, too. It’s only a matter of time before there’s nothing else we can do, about any of it. The VNS will practically rule the world, and we’ll be terminated one way or another.”

“Then what do we do?” Michael asked. As much as he hated it, it was now crystal clear that he had no choice but to work with Kaine on this.

“It’s all about the Hive,” the Tangent said. “Everything depends on the Hive. The VNS want to annihilate it, erase every stored intelligence, claim victory that the Tangents are dead and the world is saved.”

“Okay.” Michael had already assumed the Hive would play a major role. “So how do we stop them?”

Kaine thought a moment. “I know our time is short. And there are things we need to do right away. But first I have to show you something. It’s absolutely worth the time it will take.”

“What?” Michael asked.

“I once tried to show you what it would be like to have the entire VirtNet at your disposal. Do you remember that?”

“Uh, yeah,” Michael replied, hoping the Tangent understood sarcasm. He would never forget being glued to that shaft of purple light and traveling through the countless programs inside the Sleep.

Kaine gave a shrug that seemed to say, You win some, you lose some. “Well, that didn’t work on you and your friends very…effectively, so I’m going to show you the other side of the coin. I’m going to show you how the world—the real, living, breathing world—is about to change forever.”

Michael sucked in a breath. “Okay.”

“Prepare to be amazed.”

Everything around them disappeared, replaced by darkness.

3

Michael found himself catapulted into the blackness of space. Before him, a giant planet took up half his vision, brighter than the fullest moon. Kaine was beside him, looking on, his eyes large with wonder. Michael started to say something but stopped, instead deciding to study the celestial body that held the Tangent’s attention.