BooksBarbecue
Back Unleashed Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. Part Two
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. Part Three
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. Part Four
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. Part Five
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. Epilogue
  54. Acknowledgments
  55. About the Author
  56. Back Cover

I gulp and then press the next star. It states that the update is ready to be beta tested on real people. And who better to test it on than willing employees? After all, they’ve already agreed to be part of any and all Moncha experiments (or “innovations,” as the voiceover calls them) just by virtue of receiving a paycheck once a month. Of course, this “perk” is listed as one of the great benefits of working for Moncha—dressed up as getting access to advanced technology before anyone else. As employees, they get to be “early adopters.”

>>What they don’t realize is that they’ve essentially signed up to be guinea pigs in Eric’s grand plan.

The third star lists rollout dates for the update—the first one was yesterday. But it’s not the date that catches my eye. It’s the name of the department: MONCHA TELESUPPORT.

Where my mom works.

I think about her strange behavior today. How she’d flipped from super supportive to uncaring overnight. I think about Petal fluttering around her head with the flashing lights. The notification…

“Oh my god, Jinx!” I leap to my feet. “Petal updated yesterday. I have to make sure Mom is okay!”

14

Jinx is quicker than I am, and he darts out in front of me, blocking the door. He arches his back, hissing at me. I’m so surprised I fall back down on the bed. He’s never done anything like that before.

>>I learned it from my time with my cat friends.

He slinks back into his normal form and winks at me.

>>If she’s already updated, then it’s too late. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get here sooner, before she connected.

But…we need to fix this!

>>How? We don’t know how to reverse the update.

We can’t stay here and do nothing! I flail my arms, feeling utterly useless.

>>We won’t. That’s why I came to see you.

We stare at each other for a few seconds but finally I nod. She’s not in any danger, is she? My thoughts feel so small.

Jinx cocks his head toward me.

>>No. If anything, the update is designed to make her more content.

“Only because she can’t think for herself,” I mutter, the sick feeling in my stomach and the acidic taste in the back of my throat not going away. The lump in my pocket buzzes, reminding me of the baku trapped inside. What about Slick? I’m not a Moncha Telesupport employee, so I shouldn’t have the update yet.

>>Eric’s made an exception for you. He wants you quiet and compliant now that you’re out of the hospital.