Chapter Four

Marc drove into upstate New York for an appointment with Dr. Rance Higgins at the Dynamica Research Lab, just outside Albany. Even with his clout as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, scheduling time with the ‘Father of the Chip’ was no easy task. Marc uneasily accepted the soonest available date of August 15 – which happened to be the same day the government partnership would be announced.

Fortunately, it was a late-afternoon announcement. The news release would go live after the stock market closed to minimize chaos during trading hours, given the sizable impact it was expected to have on Dynamica shares and the equities market. Marc’s surgery would take place earlier in the day, before knowledge of the government partnership circulated beyond Dynamica’s senior leadership team.

Extracting the chip from the human body was a far more complicated procedure than installing it, and most medical professionals would not even attempt it at the risk of blinding, paralyzing or killing the patient. Citizens who wished to disable the chip would simply have to unsubscribe to its services and leave it dormant.

Marc knew this would no longer be an option when the government began using the chip for its own tracking and citizenship oversight. He wanted the chip removed from his brain stem, pronto. There was only one man he trusted with that hyperdelicate surgery – Dr. Higgins.

Dr. Higgins had no clue the chip would soon be mandatory and that any attempts to remove it would go against the law. Marc had just barely enough time to undergo the chip removal and drop out of sight before the news hit.

He was finished with Dynamica. He did not want to be part of the company’s future.

“Wouldn’t you rather just have the chip wiped clean?” Higgins had asked him when they arranged the procedure. “It’s far safer. We can disable it, neutralize it. Then you can reinstall the feed.”

“No,” Marc said, and he continued with his carefully constructed story. “I need to have it removed. There’s a newer model coming, and as the head of marketing, they want me to experience it firsthand.”

“I wasn’t told anything about a ‘newer model’,” said Higgins in a huffy voice.

“Not a major difference,” Marc said. “Just some minor enhancements.”

“The original chip still works perfectly. Nobody’s told me otherwise. There’s nothing to upgrade. What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing,” Marc said. “Please keep this to yourself. It’s highly confidential, and I don’t want you to put your job at risk. But there’s a slight difference in the quality of experience. There’s nothing wrong with your original chip. No defects. No recall. Nothing like that. We’ve expanded so much as a company – we’re building on your great work – it’s part of our mission to never stand still, to continually look at ways to bring new value to the Dynamica experience.”

Marc leaned on his marketing skills to pitch Dr. Higgins the benefits of an updated chip.

Higgins remained skeptical. “I’m going to make some calls tomorrow,” he said, bitter about being kept out of the loop regarding a new advancement for his discovery.

Tomorrow is fine, Marc thought. He just needed to keep Dr. Higgins in the dark until after the chip had been removed, and he became a free man.

Marc spent two hours unconscious in an operating room filled with the most advanced medical equipment that money could buy. Dr. Higgins led a small team of expert surgeons in conducting the highly precise removal of the chip without endangering Marc’s brain, spinal cord or nervous system.

The procedure was a success.

When Marc awoke, he immediately brought his fingers to the back of his neck. He did not feel the small bump that had resided there for years. He only felt stitches and a lingering soreness.

Dr. Higgins waited for Marc to fully come out of his anesthetic stupor. Higgins was a short, wide man with a broad mustache, thin hair and thick glasses. As Marc stared at him, he looked like a cartoon character until his full dimensions settled in and the clouds dissipated from Marc’s consciousness.

The rest of the surgery team had departed.

“Thank you,” Marc said.

“Even with me, even with the experts here, you took a risk,” said Higgins.

Marc nodded, propped up against pillows.

Higgins tested Marc’s movements and reflexes to ensure there was no damage to his nervous system. He asked Marc to conduct simple thinking commands, like reciting the alphabet and counting backward from ten. He did so, cleanly and clearly.

“So the removal was a success?” Marc asked.

Dr. Higgins handed him a small plastic bag. The extracted chip was inside – black and round, like an oversized button with a hard texture.

Marc accepted it. “Goodbye, Mr. Chip.”

“I would wait a few weeks before having the new one installed,” Higgins said. “You’re still going to be tender. You need time to recover and stabilize.”

“Of course.”

“Who’s installing the new chip?”

“Oh…” Marc said. “I don’t know yet.”

“I need to find out more about this. I find this whole procedure unnecessary, to be honest.”

“Perhaps,” Marc said. Then he looked at his watch.

It was quarter to four.

“I need to go.”

“You need to rest,” Higgins countered.

“No,” said Marc, sitting up on the edge of the mattress in a thin patient’s gown. “Where are my clothes?”

“I don’t recommend leaving that bed yet. Your coordination might be off. You could fall.”

“I feel great. Really. I feel really great.”

Despite Dr. Higgins’ objections, Marc got dressed. As he was buckling his belt, the cell phone in his pants pocket buzzed. He quickly pulled it out and read the text alert from Dynamica CEO Jeff Reese.

“We are confirmed to launch at four p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Comprehensive timeline and key messages by stakeholder to follow. Please direct any media inquiries to PR team. Thank you again for your leadership and support with this significant milestone for our company and our country.”

“So,” Dr. Higgins said, startling Marc’s attention away from his phone. “A few weeks without the chip. That’s a big lifestyle change. What are you going to do with yourself?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Marc said with a forced smile. “I’ll find something.”

Dr. Higgins joined Marc on his walk to the building’s exit. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” he asked.

“Absolutely.” Marc was still blinking back some fog. His muscles felt sluggish, but he would manage through it.

“All right then.” Dr. Higgins reached out and gave him a hearty handshake. “Good luck.”

At that moment, Dr. Higgins’ cell phone buzzed inside his breast pocket. He slowly withdrew his hand from Marc to reach for it.

Marc glanced at a clock on the wall.

It was four o’clock.

Marc quickly left the research laboratory as Dr. Higgins read the company announcement.

Marc ran to his car and climbed in, without looking back. He tore out of the parking lot with an abrupt squealing of tires.

* * *

As Marc sped along I-87S, returning home to Manhattan, his phone ignited with callers from his personal and professional life. He ignored them and punched the buttons on his radio, quickly finding a newscast.

The announcement had reached the general public. “The plan is to chip the entire U.S. population within twelve months….”

Marc listened to a reading of the press release and then skipped across the dial. Every radio station was interrupting its programming to cover the breaking news. On New York’s most prominent news network, Marc listened to a live briefing from the White House press secretary.

“The president is very excited for the American people,” she said, reading from prepared remarks. “This exciting technology enables us to ensure a society of equality and benefits for all. By unifying our country under the chip, we will see that no one is left behind. Your government stands with you. We understand you, we understand your needs, and we will protect you.

“The government will cover all costs of installation for those who do not yet have the chip. This includes newborns, who will be chipped at the time of birth. Immigrants, who enter this country legally, will be chipped as part of their citizenship. There will be a grace period for chip compliance. After that, there will be an escalation of fines and other consequences for willful negligence.”

Marc began to feel nauseous – a mixture of anxiety over the forced tracking and wooziness from leaving the laboratory so soon after surgery.

The press secretary spoke about the chip’s ability to reduce crime by precisely locating inappropriate conduct and identifying criminals in real time. She also said it would ease the burden on the court system by reducing the time and expense of trials when evidence could be readily obtained through the chip’s tracking mechanisms. Her speech ended with, “Please hold your questions until we have heard from all of our speakers.”

Dynamica CEO Jeff Reese took to the podium next. His familiar voice filled Marc’s ears. His speech was highly predictable – it aligned with many messages that Marc himself had crafted about the consumer benefits of the company’s offering. Only now it wasn’t presented as a choice. The pitch had a different tone: legitimizing the forced acceptance of the chip as a requirement of citizenship.

“The world is changing,” said Reese. “We are proud to be part of that change. We built the most popular brand in America on innovation and dreams. We listened to what people wanted, and we delivered. While other countries have blocked this technology through government interference, restrictions and heavy regulations, we have worked toward a true partnership, so that all may benefit. As always, the United States is a leader, not a follower. No other country offers this. No other country will prosper like we do. Dynamica isn’t just about sending signals through the air to enhance your state of happiness. We care about your safety and protection. We care about job creation. We believe in broadening our distribution reach and eliminating the cost of entry so everyone is equally privileged to access this technology. In the coming year, we will expand our offerings. We will increase opportunity for you to customize your experiences. Live the life you desire. And that gets at the heart of Dynamica. It’s our mission statement and a promise to you. Dynamica: Making your dreams come true.”

Marc turned off the radio. He muted his phone. He opened his car window and listened only to the sound of the rushing wind as he sped home, prepared for the fact that his life would change in a very big way, beginning with his resignation.

* * *

Marc managed to stay off his iPhone and laptop, getting a good night’s sleep in his penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, overlooking Central Park. For breakfast, he made himself a cheese omelet, hash browns, orange juice and coffee. It felt good to move at a leisurely pace. He stayed in his robe and pajamas. He was not going to work today – or ever again.

The New York Stock Exchange opened at nine thirty a.m. Marc settled into his fat, comfy living room chair, propped his laptop in his lap and watched the movement of Dynamica Inc. shares in real time.

As expected, the news about the government partnership sent the stock price skyrocketing. It very quickly realized a gain of eighty percent, nearly doubling in value. The stock had already been on a healthy trajectory for several years, while Marc accumulated more and more shares through his company’s incentive program and retirement plan.

With the news public and his ban on trading over, Marc called his broker. He converted all of his Dynamica shares to cash, including stock options that were still years away from expiring. His broker was delighted, collecting a whopping commission.

And Marc’s bank account became millions of dollars richer.

It was just the first move in disconnecting from Dynamica. Next, he entered his company email account. He ignored the download of a huge number of new emails, most of them related to the announcement. There were numerous meeting appointments in the mix, urgent requests to begin crafting a new marketing campaign to shift the tone of the company’s message as it moved from an optional lifestyle enhancement to a mandatory enrollment.

Marc composed an email to CEO Jeff Reese and Executive Vice President of Human Resources Carol Sibley. He CC’d the rest of the senior leadership team.

He typed up his letter of resignation.

He reread it several times, felt satisfied with its firm but respectful tone, and pressed SEND.

Then he shut down his laptop before the responses began to flow in. He kept his iPhone off. He didn’t want someone to try to talk him out of it. He didn’t want to reveal that he was no longer chipped. The media would have a field day with that – it wasn’t the type of publicity the company or the White House wanted right now. Because, inevitably, the backlash had begun. Not everyone wanted the government sewn into their head, even if it came with the side benefits of selectable moods and artificial stimulation.

Marc felt free.

Freed from the tight leash of corporate devotion, no matter how lucrative. He had been living and breathing Dynamica for ten years, working all hours, weekends included, sacrificing his social life. While he had several girlfriends over the years, none of them developed into a steady relationship. He regretted that now – in the chip era, a growing number of young, single people rejected the emotional, bumpy waters of true romance and opted to fulfill their yearnings through hassle-free simulations of love and intimacy in their heads at times of their choosing. One of Dynamica’s biggest sellers was Romantic Hearts. Marc and his team had created the marketing campaign for it. Now Marc was personally feeling the aftereffects of its huge success.

Marc finally turned on the large flat-screen television filling one wall of his living room. He watched the news coverage across several channels. As he expected, there was joy – and fear.

A camera crew was on hand to celebrate the first newborn baby to be chipped. The parents were happy. The father expressed relief that the baby’s late-night crying and restlessness would be solved by sending the baby comforting, sleepy feelings via remote control without having to hold and cuddle the child at four a.m.

Elsewhere, TV cameras captured an angry, older woman who declared her townhouse a ‘chip-free zone’ and insisted she would never allow the government to interfere with her body.

One of the most vocal opponents of the chip, Senator Dale Sheridan from Massachusetts, held a press conference to condemn the actions of the White House and demand an investigation into the ethics of the deal, citing an unlawful invasion of privacy and overreach of ‘Big Government’ into citizens’ lives.

Marc watched his former colleague, company spokesperson Matt Revord, defend criticisms of the chip’s tracking mechanisms. “It’s no different in concept than the security cameras and online monitoring that already govern our lives. If you’re good, you have nothing to worry about. If you’re a criminal, yes, the chip will be a threat. We will dramatically increase the ability to identify, locate and prosecute murderers, thieves and rapists – and that’s for the betterment of society as a whole.”

Finishing off his channel hopping, Marc landed on a morning news program interviewing low-income residents who were elated because the chip installation was now free, subsidized by the government. Those who financially couldn’t afford it would now be chipped with a complementary bundle of mood enhancers – Happiness, Love, Satisfaction and Calm.

Marc turned off the television. He got dressed. He decided to go for a walk. He took his extracted chip with him, shaking it out of the small, clear plastic bag and into his palm. He put it in his pocket.

Along the sidewalk on 79th Street, he encountered numerous people following the news closely on their iPhones or through earbuds. Some were engaged in open conversations about it – pro and con. Marc reached the East River Greenway, a walking and cycling path on the east side of Manhattan. In recent years, the number of walkers, joggers and cyclists had decreased considerably, but he still came here for long strolls to clear his head.

Marc stepped over as close as he could get to the flow of the East River. He took the small metal chip out of his pocket. He side-armed it with a hard toss, like skipping a stone. The black object skimmed the water’s surface in a series of hops, then sank out of view.

Marc imagined a fish eating it and then Big Brother tracking his movements, baffled by the strange trajectory that placed Marc in the river, darting around like a manic, underwater swimmer.

Marc continued his walk along the river. Occasionally he encountered people. But for the most part, he felt very alone.