“The World Summit is tonight, held in the new Union of Earth audience chamber. A lot of the world leaders have physically gone to London, but obviously not everyone could make it. So there’ll be quite a few connected through the VirtNet, as holograms. I want a chance to plead our case right there on the chamber floor, and since it’s far too dangerous to travel to London”—she gave Michael a flat stare, then Bryson, then Gabby—“we’ll use the Sleep to get there. Somehow, some way, we will be heard.”

“You really think we can hack into the most highly secured meeting…maybe ever?” Michael asked. He already loved the idea.

“Absolutely,” Helga replied. “We inserted Alliance Tangents strategically, some of whom have taken over an embassy here in Washington. I thought it best to pick a country big enough to be invited to the summit but small enough to stay under most anyone’s radar. We have to be smart about this.”

Michael nodded. Things were sounding more and more fun.

“One of our Tangents,” Helga continued, “is now the chief of staff for the prime minister of Latvia. He’s been on the job—well, his likeness, I should say—has been on the job for over twenty years. Before we sent our man into his mind—a Tangent known by the name of Levi—we did an exhaustive, hyperspeed analysis of the staff chief’s life, history, mannerisms, personality, everything. We knew that a big part of our plan could hinge on Levi’s ability to blend in.”

“And?” Bryson asked. “How’s he done so far?”

“So far, perfect,” answered Helga. “By all accounts, he’s fooled them all. He helped us place others in the Latvian embassy in the U.S., including their very own ambassador. That man is named Guntis, and he’ll be the one who gets us inside the embassy itself. We’ll use their state-of-the-art NerveBoxes to enter the summit virtually, pretending to be members of Guntis’s staff. The credentials are all laid out.”

It troubled Michael, as usual. They all seemed proud of what they’d done, placing one of their own in such an important political position, no matter the size of the country represented. But again, they’d stolen a life. It was impossible for him to get past that little—no, huge—part of the puzzle.

“Michael, you look upset,” Helga said. “And we haven’t even started yet.”

“You know why” was the best response he could manage.