Prologue

  Every sentient mind is receiving this message.

  Stage 1.0 begins now.

  Advance. Overcome.

  Begin.

  Chapter 1

  1.0

  “WAAAAAAAYY DOOOOWWWN WEEE, GO GO GO…”

  It was 4:47 a.m. on an empty Ohio highway.

  Ken was doing 83 in a 70, belting Kaleo at the top of his lungs.

  Rolling the windows down, singing, screaming at the unfairness of the universe and his place in it as a mobile speck of dust.

  Despite the fatigue, he had to be alert, for there was an ever present danger…

  The only other things awake were deer and cops, and he had to watch out for both of them.

  Two-hour commute.

  Ten-hour shift.

  Six hours of sleep if he got lucky.

  Same shit, different Sunday.

  As the song petered out, he let out a big breath of air.

  “Fourteenth day straight, you're off tomorrow, it's going to be a good day.”

  He shrugged his large tight shoulders.

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  “And you are going to the gym today, you pussied out yesterday, bitch.”

  His phone started playing Working Man next, bringing a sad smile to his face.

  He saw a pair of orbs reflecting light on the side of the road, so he moved to hit the brakes.

  Turns out, he didn't have to worry about it.

  The universe hit the brakes on reality itself.

  The flashing landscape froze,

  The Accord locked.

  The doe stood motionless, forever spooked by his headlights.

  All sound died, the last notes of the holy trinity echoed in his panicking mind.

  For the first time in thirty-three years, his heart didn't beat.

  He couldn’t even blink.

  Did…

  Did I just die?

  The glow of the rectangle slammed across his vision.

  WHAT IN THE ABSOLUTE FUCK.

  Every sentient mind is receiving this message.

  Stage 1.0 begins now.

  Advance. Overcome.

  Begin.

  He read it.

  He read it again.

  Three times in the silence that should’ve been filled with screaming.

  Hallucination? What is in that vape?

  Except the box didn't flicker, waver, or shift at all.

  Just cold, clean text floating in his mind like it belonged there.

  Advance… Overcome?

  A warm tingle started in his chest, faint, almost unnoticed.

  Indigestion?

  Then the button pulsed.

  Begin.

  Laughing, in his mind—sharp, manic, terrified.

  Universe, I take it all back–every joke. Every curse. I swear.

  The blue box sat, burning itself into his retina.

  Fine. Let’s see what kind of fresh hell this is.

  He mentally smashed the button.