Chapter 32
Morgen hands a copy to everybody.
We get letters from mothers and grandmothers and spouses from all over threatening to sue us over their sons and daughters losing their sense of reality after watching videos which they describe as “circus art” and “demonic athletic performances”.
Chapter 31
The original device was Joselyn’s greatest investment in the company. Her magnum opus.
She’s going to be in history books. She knows this because she’s been putting her name in the transcriptions.
Giving herself credit for various historical events. Then publishing manuscripts once thought to be lost in the violent rivers of time.
Chapter 30
I fantasize about having those once in a generation out-of-the-fuck ideas that shifts society and my generation again.
I couldn’t think my way to genius. It was a choice on a completely different matter made in a totally random moment that brought me to this.
Chapter 29
Once Joselyn was sitting in her armchair and she saw me struggling to write an email because I kept getting a redline under what was supposed to be “permanently”.
“Do you want a way to fix that?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. Face me.” And we turned in our armchairs which were side by side and she looked into my eyes. I knew not to blink. I relaxed my eye muscles so they could dilate and accept the knowledge within the incantation she’s about to give like downloading an update.
Chapter 28
Joselyn looks at the clock at the front of the makeshift executive boardroom and it’s after two.
She sits at the head chair now.
Before, she and Morgen would sit across from me and Everhet.
And Hans’ chair would remain vacant in memory of his spirit as he travels the world. A visual reminder of his presence.
Purple Hand Man
by James Jacob Hatfield
for Bud Smith
The average length of a stoplight in an area like this is a about 33 seconds. I’m counting while the man with purple hands slows down the car. Rolls down the window. Fires twice on the guy in the passenger seat, three times on the driver, twice on the backseat. Then gone ahead and wrapped the searing hot barrel with a towel. Puts the car in park. Extends himself as far as he can out his own window.
Chapter 27
Joselyn has encouraged me to begin developing my own rituals. Things I do to calm down. Per the new installment of the Freedom of Medical Care Act (FMCA 7.3) “rituals” fall under the category of preventative medicine.
Now every time I brush my teeth I time travel.
Chapter 26
This week’s QA round table we noticed a strange spike in a competitor’s content—the few competitors we have left. Morgen shows both of her palms to everyone at the table. She says, “I don’t know what the hell you did, but this is an actual tick down for us.”