Cyber Sparks

My name is Allegra Mondebay, and this is the story of my last days on Earth...

Unlike my sparsely populated home, on Earth everything and everyone is plugged in. As a blacklisted model who needs to reboot my career, I can no longer resist the ultimate in virtual-reality networking: the omnipod. At first, altering the sights, sounds and scents around me seems harmless. Then I hear the voice.

Do not adjust your headset. You are in danger...

He says I must help him warn the public about the perils of the omnipod. I think he's just a hacker—until innocent people start dying, and the police want to hold me responsible. Now, I'm on the run in a stolen shuttle, trying to figure out why he needs me. And if I don't do as he says, he'll kill the woman I love.

32,000 words