“Somebody get a pad!” Jack shouted, wildly searching for something to write on.
“I don’t have a pad!” Allyson said in a panicked voice.
“I’m writing already,” Amber shouted as she scribbled on a paper napkin with eyeliner. “I’ve got it all so far!”
Kayla continued to announce each piece of the algorithm as she received it from KM-6. Her heart pounded but she fought it down, needing to hear clearly what was coming into her head.
She remembered reading about certain types of people with autism who had a special ability to remember nearly unbelievable chains of numbers, dates, addresses, and the like.
KM-6 had grown up in a biotech facility. These were her nursery rhymes.
Finally, KM-6 stopped sending the codes and slumped in her chair. Kayla, too, felt drained of energy.
Jack ran to the computer on the kitchen table, typing in the characters Amber had written on napkins, paper, towels, old envelopes, and even her arm. “I think it’s working!” he shouted.
They all stared at him, breathless with anticipation.
“It looks like it’s shutting down,” he said again, his voice more confident as his certainty grew. “It’s working!”
They screamed with joy, hugging one another. Jack grabbed KM-6, swinging her in a circle. The girl didn’t seem to mind.
They had done it! They’d used the secret G-1 algorithms to shut down the entire behavior control program! Jack quickly sprang into action and put his own lock on the system so Global-1 couldn’t reactivate it.
Kayla glanced at Mfumbe on the futon.
He opened his eyes at the same moment and slowly smiled at her.
DAVID YOUNG LEAVES JAIL A WELL MAN AS LAST PROTESTER IS RELEASED
Washington, DC. November 8, 2025 — In a stunning recovery, David Young left his hospital room early this morning. Upon learning that the last protester arrested during the October 13 protest had been released, he got dressed and walked outside where he was met by the press and a throng of ever-growing supporters. He thanked the crowd for their faith in him and their many letters and cards. He also thanked whoever started the movement to send him fortune cookies with encouraging messages. “They helped me hang on in my darkest moments,” he said. “I read every one of them.”
He was joined by his father, Ambrose Young. “This is far from over,” Ambrose Young told the press.
AMBROSE YOUNG DROPS GLOBAL-1 BOMBSHELL
Washington, DC. November 12, 2025 — Today, Ambrose Young presented evidence to the United States Senate of a shocking plot by the multinational company Global-1 to control the citizens of the United States as well as other nations by the use of embedded nanotechnology. Citing proof from an undisclosed source, former Senator Young turned documents over to the Speaker of the House that detail the company’s program. The Global-1 plan has been in the works since the inception of the bar code tattoo. President Loudon Waters is mentioned as the vehicle by which Global-1 intended to implement universal compliance with the bar code. By day’s end, sixteen senators had called for impeachment proceedings to begin.
DR. SARAH ALAN HEADS MOVEMENT OF DOCTORS OFFERING FREE LASER TATTOO REMOVAL
New York, NY. November 30, 2025 — Dr. Sarah Alan is happy to be back in her office. She is even happier with the new tattoo-removing laser she’s purchased. In conjunction with a nationwide network of doctors working with and coordinated by Dr. Alan — Doctors of Compassion (DOC) — bar code tattoos are being removed from morning until late into the night. “Some people still think they’re cool and want to keep them,” Dr. Alan said. “That’s their right, but there’s no more information stored in them other than the person’s name. As for the embedded nanorobotics, our panel of physicians has studied the issue and released a paper stating that we believe the nanos will disintegrate over a six-month period if they are not utilized. The representative from Global-1 confirmed our findings during last month’s Senate investigation.”
DAVID YOUNG ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR A PRESIDENTIAL RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE
Washington, DC. December 31, 2025 — David Young announced today that he is throwing his hat in the ring and making a bid for the presidency in the upcoming special election scheduled for this March. Though he has many supporters from both parties, Young says he can be most effective as an Independent. “The many people in this country who have supported me have had enough of self-serving special interest groups,” he told the press today. Among his campaign promises, Young has vowed to work with other nations affected by the nanobiotech threat of the bar code tattoo. He also promises a special commission dedicated to addressing and righting wrongs perpetrated on citizens hurt by the bar code tattoos. In addition, he has promised a spate of new legislation aimed at protecting rights of individual privacy. “New technologies will always offer the greedy and power hungry new opportunities to oppress its citizenry. Advances in science must be made with due consideration. They can advance the health and well-being of all people, or they can enslave them. In a free society we must work together to make this a world where human dignity is the yardstick by which we measure progress.”