Chapter 4

Jack involuntarily grunted in pain as his brain felt like it was being attacked by a million little ants. Which he subconsciously knew was precisely what was actually happening. But he also felt a tingling and slight burning sensation in several other parts of his body that he later realized were the MPC nanites manipulating and changing several of the glands and organs of his body that produced the hormones and compounds that helped control and regulate his emotions.

Even though he’d changed many more settings with this application, the sensation was far less painful than the first one, and actually lasted only a few seconds.

When it was finished, Jack wasn’t quite as sure he felt an immediate change like the first application. But then he started examining his memories and found that he could vividly recall everything he’d ever read, everything he’d ever seen, heard, felt, tasted, smelled ... it was a lot more than the sliders and options had allowed.

Then suddenly, subconsciously, he reached for a memory that he shouldn’t have. Jack was back there, in the alley behind the Best Buy in South Dallas only a few miles from his school. He’d been back there because he was supposed to meet his best friend Jeremy, who worked there, and Jeremy was going to get him his preorder copy of the new Grand Theft Auto game a whole week before release. He’d already paid for it, and they had them in their locked cage in the back of the store, but he’d be able to play it a week earlier than anyone else.

Jeremy had been sent home because he’d been sneezing and coughing and ever since COVID, his boss was absolutely maniacal about employees staying away from the store when they had cold and flu symptoms. Unfortunately, Jeremy had forgotten to send a text to Jack about this and Jack had shown up.