“Right, yes, I believe you, and that is absolutely wild, but we have to go.”

“You’re telling me I should just leave my dad here? To…whatever Eric next has planned?”

“We need to get Monica out and far away from here first. That way, we can stop the update from being rolled out, figure out how to reverse this thing, and then we can get your dad back. Don’t you see? We have to do things one step at a time, but we won’t forget about him. Jinx will record it all. Come on.”

“But…”

“Look, Lacey. He’s been here for god knows how long. He can last one more day. I promise you, we won’t let a minute longer go by than we have to return and get him. The minute we get back and bring Monica to my parents, then everything will be all right again.”

I hesitate, chewing my lower lip. I know Tobias’s logic is sound. But I can’t tear myself away. Not now that I’ve found him.

I didn’t even know I was looking for him, until he showed up right in front of my eyes.

I can sense the others—not Tobias and Kai, but the rest of the creepy Moncha cult—all staring at me, those strange grins on their faces. My curiosity gets the better of me and I sneak a glance, a little side eye, in the direction of the other inhabitants. They really do seem geared up for a celebration. One is carrying a cake, some have streamers in their hands. It looks more like a children’s birthday party than an annual celebration.

A thought strikes me. What if this happens every day here? Everyone loves a celebration, a piece of cake, a reason for the community to get together… It would fall perfectly into the “make people happy” category. A birthday every day! An excuse to celebrate! I bet some people would hear that and it would put a smile on their face.

“Lacey, please.” There’s more than a hint of desperation in Tobias’s voice now. I have no real concept of how much time has passed, but I know it’s ticking by.

I run up to my dad, heedless of his reaction to me. “I will be back for you, Dad.”

Then I turn back to Tobias, catching the look of relief on his face. I’m about to smile back, to say “okay, let’s go,” when my brain registers the words he said just a moment ago.

“What did you mean by ‘when we bring Monica to my parents?’” I ask, frowning.

Tobias opens his mouth, then closes it again, clearly caught off guard. “Nothing, I meant when we take her to the authorities, or to BRIGHTSPRK, that’s all. Slip of the tongue, I promise.”

“I wouldn’t make promises I couldn’t keep if I were you, Tobias.”