More wild applause. But selling raffles was hardly giving anything away. I could see how Jin spun everything, from dressing in his patriotic suit to his carefully chosen wording. And Daiyu was a part of this? The cambots had already panned away from her, but I zoomed my view onto her face—her gaze was downcast as the crowd’s excitement thundered around me. Then she raised her eyes, and it seemed as if she were looking directly at me. An impossibility if we weren’t both in helmet. Her lips parted and she drew a breath—I could see it in the rise and fall of her chest—before she turned her face back toward her father.

Jin had both hands raised, triumphant, as he thanked everyone for coming. The park would be open to the public for the entire day to celebrate Jin Corp’s announcement. Food and drink carts were set up around the park, and all items were discounted to one yuan, subsidized by Jin Corp. The four suited figures then disappeared back into the memorial hall amid fervent applause and shouting. People began to disperse after that. The yous climbed into aircars and some zipped off on their airpeds, while the meis headed eagerly to the food and drink carts stationed around the memorial park, excited to spend a nice and rare day there.

Suddenly, a shrill scream near me pierced the air, followed by shouts.

“He just collapsed!”

“He’s dead!”

“It’s contagious. Run!”

Two men thumped against my shoulder as they fled, panicked, and everyone else surged away in similar fashion. The air thundered with their cries and footsteps, and I tried to hold my ground until a man with wild eyes above his green face mask slammed into me, and someone slammed into him. I was on my hands and knees in an instant, as multiple feet kicked my legs and arms and strangers’ knees bruised my ribs. Someone stomped hard on my left hand, and I shouted in pain, unable to pull it to my chest for fear I’d lose my balance and topple over entirely within the sea of people. Two meis knocked into my helmet as they ran, and my head snapped back both times, ears ringing with the noise. I tried to push upward, but the press of people made it impossible. Then, as suddenly as it started, I seemed alone in the massive square. I rose unsteadily, tucking my bruised hand close, heartbeat thundering in my head.

Only two meis remained with me and the sick man on the ground. I recognized him as the guy in his twenties with the hacking cough who I had seen earlier. He was lying on the cobblestone in fetal position, arms flung out in front of himself, his face deathly pale, except for two bright spots on his cheeks. He hadn’t been trampled to death because everyone had steered a wide circle around him as they ran.