At some point they must have quieted, because she finally resumed speaking. Michael watched with rapt attention, wondering where all of this was leading them. Something told him his near future wasn’t going to be a happy place.

“Now, I’m afraid I have another piece of very troubling news to report. Again, we have provided a more detailed written statement, but here is the basic situation: the entity known as Kaine, a Tangent of unknown origin, has gained an unprecedented level of sentience.”

Another dramatic pause. “More importantly, and urgently, and as a direct result of the terrorist actions against our facility, Kaine has eluded us and executed a process by which the codes of certain Tangents have somehow been, for lack of a better word, downloaded into the minds of flesh-and-blood humans. By doing so, these people now serve as hosts for rogue-coded programs.

“Until we can bring our services back to their full capacity, we warn the entire world that anyone who Sinks into the VirtNet is highly susceptible to this hostile takeover. As we don’t have the ability to stop you at this time, we ask for your support in this matter. Under no circumstances are you to Sink. Thank you.”

Before she could say more, her body dissolved and blew away like those of the reporters before her. No one replaced her.

“I can’t believe it,” Sarah whispered as the last fragments of Weber’s digital dust disappeared. “I can’t believe it.”

She could’ve been commenting on a hundred different things, but Michael could tell she meant something very specific.

“What?” he asked.

“She lied,” Sarah replied. “I know she’s a liar, but she stood right in front of the entire world and lied to their faces.”

Helga was nodding. At some point, the city of Atlanta had faded from beneath their feet and been replaced by what they’d seen upon first arriving—the glass floor, the dark blue sky, the dancing geometric shapes of light.

“Something’s definitely not right,” Michael said. “She obviously knows the Mortality Doctrine kicked in before this whole thing with the Lance device happened. This is getting ridiculous. I mean, who’s worse—Agent Weber or Kaine?”

“I vote we just get rid of both of them,” Bryson suggested.

“I know that was a lot to take in,” Helga said. “But we’re not done. I’m afraid you’ll need to brace yourselves for what you’re about to see.”

5