Prologue

NEXT

I slam the door behind me and groan as I place my bag down while I untie my shoes. Jacob and Cameron couldn't be bothered to show up. I just finished my homework by myself and left the parking lot. I walk to the kitchen to look for my Mom, but I don't see them. I hear the TV and redirect my course to the living room, where I find my parents. I'm ready to rant about being hung out to dry I notice something wrong.

Mom's eyes are puffy as she kneels in front of the Television. As I get closer, she pulls me into an embrace. She doesn't say anything, I turn towards the TV and my heart constricts. I can see Jacob's car, the left side is like a crushed aluminum can. The hood is on fire, the glass has smashed in, and I can't even see who's in the car. From Mom's face, I can tell that they didn't survive.

I break away from my Mom and run towards the door. I ignore her cries as I put my shoes on and head out the door. I can't wait; I need to know if they're gone. I don't know what I'll see, but I need to know if they're there.

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I ran to the crash site and grimaced at the sight of the Renova company's trucks; local news covers their arrival. The workers load a stretcher into the van, and I wobble as they close the door. Without thinking, my legs burn as I run toward the Renova van. One of the employees scoops me up as I scream.

He doesn't care as I kick and slam my fist against his shoulders. "Where are you taking them?!" I ask as he lowers me a couple of feet away; The man still doesn't release me. The man leans down, takes a digital card out of his pocket, and holds it out for me. I take it from him, the man places a finger to his lips as he stands and returns to the van.

I look down at the card as the Renova logo flashes across the display. I begin to make my way home as the van drives off; I choke down another sob. I'll have to apologize to Mom for leaving so suddenly. She was trying to help Mom needed comfort too.

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I wasn't able to escape Mom when I came back home. She held me as long as she could, and I apologized profusely for leaving. I sit with her in the kitchen, but I don't have anything else to say; neither does she. I feel for the card in my pocket and make a decision. Mom watches as I pull out the card and place it on the table.

The card lights up with the Renova logo a projection appears above it. My blood boils as I see the face of Renova's founder. His smile is as artificial as everything his company makes, but there are still wrinkles near his eyes. Full of glee knowing that his next exploitation will make him millions. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is wonderful to see you today." he chuckles. "Well, I can't see you but you can see me. All because of technology, the technology my company has brought you; here at Renova, we've been able to push the limits and bring you all comfort." 

Like hell, what "comfort" will this venture bring us? My family is no better than it was five years ago. "I, Robert Leopold, have something that will change the industry. I think you'll want to see this." Robert's image soo fades as workers take up the hologram's display. Factory workers, store clerks, and hostesses are displayed on screen smiling as they tend to customers. A laboratory with various scientists and pod-like structures takes up the screen until Robert walks into view. "There are so many jobs but too many underqualified individuals; not only that but spending money on training and labor is so hard these days." 

He smirks as he walks towards a pod and places a hand on it. The liquid inside is almost opaque, but I can barely make out something floating inside. It's practically a shadow and it's hard to distinguish any features. "What if, you could create your workers? Not only fully equipped with the knowledge they need, but without the need for pay.?" My stomach squirms as I glance at my Mother. All color has drained from her face; she appears hollow as she stares at the holographic display. Robert takes a step back as light illuminates the pod.

I feel the bile in my throat rise as the light reveals a human inside the pod. "We've gathered specimens with the knowledge and permission of the government," No. "and brought them here to experiment." No. "You see, unions tend to be tricky safety, pay, and hours may be debated." He's admitting to weaseling out of treating his employees like humans. "But these are hardly human, they'd be empty husks with our direction." He holds up a microchip and knocks on the pod. 

"Everything they need to know will be in here, that will be all they need to know. If you like a specific model and it expires, purchase another and upload the data you need to a new chip." My Mom has started crying again, but I can barely breathe. My friends are going to become mindless slaves. Renova had been picking up bodies from accidents for months. To think it was for something as disgusting as this.

Did the government really let this happen? How much has been contributed to this? Every purchase for their products could've funded this. Cameron wanted to go straight home, I could tell. She only agreed to spend time with us because she wanted to be around her brother. They would've been home if they weren't making the drive to see me. What would happen if I wanted to go to the library? If I had asked them to go anywhere else or if I didn't ask them to study at all? They would be alive, they wouldn't become part of some twisted experiment. I killed them. I killed Jacob and Cameron Everdeen.