Chapter 1

Nora

Austin, Texas

Nora Kingsley pulls into her driveway after finishing work at nearly 8 p.m. on a Friday. She is physically and mentally drained. It was the Friday before spring break, a day her boss, Lance, had assured everyone would be “low key.” He’d even encouraged the team to wear beach-themed outfits to emphasize the relaxed atmosphere he envisioned. Nora, however, had opted out of the festivities.

She stares at the small circular lens embedded in the center of her front door. “Unlock,” she mutters impatiently, waiting for the click of the deadbolt before pushing the handleless door open. She trudges inside. In the kitchen, her husband, Teddy, looks up and gives her a sympathetic glance.

“I’d ask how work was today, but…” Teddy glances at his watch, trailing off.

Nora blows away a wavy strand of red hair that has fallen over her freckled face, and drops her work bag onto the floor. “Let me sum it up for you. Lance gave another impromptu eulogy for an ape today, this time while wearing a T-shirt that said ‘Drink Up Beaches.’”

“Oh no. Another ape? I’m sorry, hun.”

“Yeah, and the saddest part is I actually liked this one.” Nora shakes her head, frustration flickering across her face as she recalls the day. “It was Artemis, the old female. She’d been in the lab the longest.”

Nora usually feels indifferent about the apes in the lab. If she’s being honest, she wishes it had been Kratos who’d died; he absolutely delights in making her life hell. Everyone at the lab agrees he’s a huge dick.

“I guess it’s bound to happen in your line of work,” Teddy says gently. “But hey, at least you’ve got the next nine days in South Padre to take your mind off it.”

Nora appreciates Teddy’s support, even if she knows how much he hates that her company, PsyBorg, tests the Nexus on apes. He understands it’s a requirement of her government-funded contract, the necessary precursor before Nexus can be implanted into the brains of U.S. soldiers.

Teddy’s sentimentality doesn’t extend to Nora. She’s far too pragmatic. She’ll test on any animal PsyBorg plops in front of her if it means advancing Nexus. For her, the military application is just a stepping stone. Once she’s used the government funding to push Nexus to its full potential, her ultimate goal is far more ambitious. She envisions it transforming lives: enabling paralyzed individuals to walk again, empowering amputees to control advanced prosthetics, and opening doors to revolutionary breakthroughs for the greater good.

Still, Nora knows that to create a viable product and sustain the business, Nexus must also have mass-market appeal. Its primary selling point for the general public is its ability to connect seamlessly to personal electronic devices, allowing users to control them with their minds. What sets PsyBorg apart is the symbiotic relationship between the human brain and the implant’s integrated artificial intelligence. Nora is confident she’s standing on the threshold of humanity’s next evolutionary leap.

“You want to know what’s kind of messed up?” Nora says, her green eyes distant, fixed on nothing. “Lance made Artemis’ lifeless body wave goodbye to all of us.”

Teddy’s face contorts in discomfort, but Nora presses on, the scene playing vividly in her mind.

She recalls Artemis lying still on the lab table, the faint glow of the Nexus chip under her fur. At Lance’s command, the ape’s arm rose slowly, jerking unnaturally. Her fingers unfurled into a stiff wave, the motion more mechanical than lifelike.

Nora blinks, snapping out of her trance, and looks at Teddy, who’s still wincing. “You know,” she says, her tone more animated, “it’s actually pretty impressive. The Nexus chip had enough internal power to stimulate her muscles even as rigor mortis was setting in…and the precision of the signals it sent, despite her being completely brain-dead, is nothing short of extraordinary.”

Before she can get too carried away, their daughter Sydney barrels into the room.

“Hi, Mommy!” Sydney chirps, hopping onto the couch with the energy of someone who hasn’t just ended a long day. Her chestnut-brown hair falls in slightly untamed waves to her shoulders, tucked behind her ears as it often is.

“Hey, Syd. Why don’t you grab your science fair project and show Mom?” Teddy suggests, sensing an opportunity to shift the conversation.

“Ooh, okay!” In one swift motion, Sydney springs off the couch and scrambles up the stairs on all fours. Her frame is slim and a bit gangly, still growing into itself. Moments later, she thunders back down, clutching a large circuit board with both hands.

Nora’s eyebrows lift in surprise. She hadn’t even realized the science fair was happening. A white ribbon with “Sydney Fleetwood” printed on it is stuck to the side of the project.

“Wow! Third place, that’s wonderful, honey!”

Sydney beams as she sets the board on the coffee table. The device is remarkably intricate for an eleven-year-old’s project. It’s 3D-printed, with functional lighting diodes and small fans that spin when certain switches are flipped.

Nora stares at it, half in awe, half in disbelief. She hadn’t known Sydney was capable of building something so advanced—but then again, she was her daughter.

Her gaze lingers on the ribbon, where the name “Sydney Fleetwood” is neatly printed. It’s Teddy’s last name. He’s never minded that Nora kept her maiden name, Kingsley, after their marriage. He understands how much it means to her parents to see “Dr. Kingsley” on her published papers. Still, Nora can’t help but feel a twinge of pride that Sydney shares her love of science—Fleetwood or not.

Nora tells Teddy she’s heading upstairs to finish some emails. Teddy nods, assuring her he’ll have her dinner ready when she comes back down. “The kids are all packed and ready for the trip, by the way,” he adds nonchalantly.

She pauses for a moment, feeling a swell of gratitude for her husband. Her life would unravel without him. Teddy, a stay-at-home dad, gives everything he has to their home and kids. He also runs a small fitness business, leading virtual classes three times a week through the TerraNova online platform: the NovaVerse. Using the company’s smart lenses, he projects as a hologram into the living rooms of people that have far too much time and money to spend on their physical appearance.

On her way to the bedroom, Nora passes by Max’s room. Her fifteen-year-old son is immersed in a video game, shouting too loudly at a friend through his headset. She considers poking her head in to ask if he’s ready for the trip but reconsiders. Interrupting Max mid-game would only earn her a sharp, pubescent attitude. She cringes slightly when she hears him curse but brushes it off. “Shit” isn’t the worst word in his vocabulary, and it is the first word she utters when she opens an email from her coworker Liam.

Sitting on the bed, Nora opens an email with the subject “Classified - Proprietary Data Enclosed.” The email is from Liam’s personal account, sent to her personal email. Her stomach sinks as she clicks on the attachment.

The video starts. Liam is speaking directly into the camera, only his face visible.

“Hey there, Dr. Kingsley,” he says, his voice laced with a suggestive tone. “Just wanted to let you know I’ll be thinking about you while you’re out of the office next week.” He pauses, a smirk playing on his lips. “But I also wanted to send you something to make sure you think about me too.”

Nora’s stomach twists. She scrambles to mute the sound, already dreading where this is going. As Liam steps back, more of his body comes into view—he’s shirtless.

Her pulse racing, Nora stares at the screen, horrified and furious more than anything. This was the first time Liam had done something like this. She knew he was desperate to recapture her attention and affection.

Liam had been a part-time researcher at PsyBorg while finishing his Ph.D. During those late nights in the lab, they’d often found themselves alone. One thing led to another, and their hookups became a regular escape from the monotony of their work. She’d assumed it would end when he finished his dissertation. She never anticipated he’d be hired full-time as the lead biomedical engineer on the Nexus interface.

Now he was a permanent fixture at PsyBorg, and she couldn’t shake the suspicion that he’d taken the job for her. What she’d considered a casual fling had turned into something far more complicated.

She’s jolted back to reality by Teddy’s voice, and slams her laptop shut.

“Hey,” he says, leaning against the doorway. “I’ve already packed your essentials for the trip.” He nods toward her half-packed duffel bag. “You know, I’m really looking forward to this. I think some quality time with the kids is just what we need.”

Nora feels a pang of irritation. The comment feels loaded, as though he’s implying she doesn’t spend enough time with the kids—a sentiment she knows they silently share. She shoves her laptop back in its carrier.

“I’ll finish packing after I use the bathroom,” she says curtly.

Teddy hesitates, sensing her mood. “Okay,” he says, stepping back. “I guess I’ll just start preloading the car.”

Alone in the bathroom, Nora sits on the toilet and pulls out her phone. With her headphones on, she opens the email from Liam. Her thumb hovers over the video before she presses play again. This time, she turns the volume up, leaning in to hear every detail.

***

The next morning, Nora wakes to the glow of bedside lamps and the muffled commotion of Teddy moving around the room. She glances at her phone: 5:17 a.m. Groaning, she rolls over, clinging to the last remnants of sleep. Teddy, oblivious to the disturbance he’s creating, is busy wrangling their belongings and preparing the house for its nine-day vacancy.

They’re heading to South Padre Island for their annual spring break trip, staying at the beach house Teddy inherited from his parents. As an only child, he’d received it along with their family’s penchant for meticulous planning.

Teddy notices Nora stir. “Oh, sorry—did I wake you? I was gonna let you sleep until 5:30.”

Nora answers with an annoyed grunt, still wrapped in the fog of pre-dawn irritability.

Unfazed, Teddy continues rummaging in the closet. “Well, since you’re up, maybe start getting ready? We need to be at the airport in two hours. The Phantom’s coming at 6:30.”

The mention of Phantom makes Nora’s ears perk up. She silently prays he booked a private ride, not the dreadful carpool version. Teddy calls from the bathroom, immediately crushing her hope.

“And it actually wasn’t that expensive! Lots of people are heading to the airport for spring break, so I got us the carpool option!”

Nora sighs, her prayer unanswered. “Great,” she mutters under her breath, already imagining herself squeezed next to coughing strangers for the forty-minute ride to the airport, followed by ninety minutes crammed into economy class seats on their flight from Austin to South Padre.

Teddy adds on as he reemerges, “We can’t be late. We don’t want to keep any of the other riders waiting.”

Suppressing a sigh, Nora drags herself out of bed to check on the kids.

Sydney’s room is the picture of organization. Her bags are neatly placed by the door, and she’s sitting cross-legged on her bed, absorbed in a book. Not wanting to disturb her, Nora quietly steps back into the hall and moves to Max’s room.

From the lack of light under the door, Nora knows what she’ll find. Two courtesy knocks confirm her suspicion. Silence. She pushes the door open to see Max sprawled across his bed, snoring softly.

“Max,” she says firmly, flipping on the light. “Up. Now.”

He moans and mumbles something unintelligible, but by sheer force of will—and repeated prodding—Nora eventually gets him up and moving.

An hour later, the family gathers at the front door just as the Phantom arrives. Outside, a sleek, silver twelve-seater van waits at the curb, its logo—PHNTM—plastered on the side in glowing neon blue. The letters pulse with a faint animation: first traced by light, then disappearing, only to reappear moments later.

Nora stares at the van with a mix of resignation and irritation, her thoughts turning to Cyrus Novak, the billionaire behind PHNTM. She’s convinced she’s one of the only few who sees through his fake virtuous persona and realizes he’s a self-serving asshole just like the rest of them. Yet, despite her disdain, her family relies on his products; even now, they’re all wearing his TerraNova contact lenses. The glowing, over-the-top branding on the van feels like a reminder of his insufferable ego. Worse, she can’t help but think that the cost of such unnecessary gimmicks is quietly passed on to customers like her.

“All right,” Teddy says, ushering everyone forward. “Let’s load up!”

“Hello! Can I assist you with your bags?” the android says in a smooth robotic tone.

It stands around six feet tall, only a few inches taller than Nora. Its sleek metallic frame gleams under the morning sun, the “skin” a mix of polished chrome and matte white panels that give it a clean, modern appearance. Its glowing blue eyes and a strip of LEDs across its mouth-like slit light up as it speaks, the movements perfectly synced with its polite voice. The PHNTM logo glows faintly on its chest plate, matching the branding on the van. After a moment, the logo disappears and is briefly replaced with the name TerraNova Robotics.

Nora doesn’t expect this. She assumed the PHNTM van would be entirely driverless, like the ones she’s used to taking around downtown. Apparently, the airport shuttle version comes with an assistant android to handle loading and unloading passengers’ bags.

“No, thank you,” Nora says tartly as she hoists her bag into the back of the van. She has no interest in waiting for the robot to calculate the most efficient way to arrange her family’s luggage among the other passengers’ bags.

Teddy approaches with the kids, placing their bags at the android’s feet. “Can we leave these here for you?” he asks.

“Of course! I will happily assist. Please, allow me to get those for you,” the android replies, its voice even and measured.

“Great, thanks!” Teddy says with a cheerful nod.

Nora watches distrustfully as the robot crouches, its long, jointed limbs moving with mechanical precision. It carefully adjusts its balance to accommodate the weight of each bag, the servos in its knees and elbows emitting soft whirs. The android loads the bags with deliberate care, its multipurpose claws handling them with surprising gentleness.

Once finished, it steps into the front passenger seat of the van, its glowing blue eyes scanning the interior as it readies for departure.

Teddy and the kids are already seated, chatting amongst themselves. Nora finally climbs in after them. As the automatic door slides shut, the elderly man beside her erupts into a coughing fit. She sinks into her seat, already counting down the hours until they can finally relax at the beach house.

***

When Nora, Teddy, Sydney, and Max arrive at their house on South Padre Island, the midday sun blazes overhead, casting stark shadows underneath the palm trees in the yard. The sight of the unkempt lawn immediately irks Nora, considering they pay Micah, a local high schooler who lives one street over, one-hundred dollars a month to mow and tidy up. She sighs and massages her temples, trying to quell the frustration bubbling up.

“You all head inside and get settled,” Teddy says, as he puts the car in park. “I’ll grab the lawn mower from the shed and deal with this mess before the HOA board starts marching toward the house with pitchforks and torches.” He grins as he pats Max’s knee. “And you, big guy, are on weed duty.”

Max doesn’t even glance up from his handheld gaming system, releasing a long, dramatic sigh.

“That’s the spirit,” Teddy replies with mock enthusiasm. “Maybe you’ll even get your first callus—how exciting!”

Inside, Nora and Sydney unpack the bags and debate lunch options. The pantry is barren except for canned soup and vegetables, so they start scrolling through delivery apps. After struggling to agree on something, they fall back on an old favorite: Eduardo’s Pizzeria, a local joint they’ve been frequenting for years. The owner, Eduardo, always tosses in free garlic knots to welcome them back. Nora places the order and sets her phone down, relieved to have one task off her plate.

The sound of laughter outside pulls her attention to the window. Teddy, shirtless and sweaty, leans casually on the lawn mower, chatting with a group of five college girls renting the house next door. They’re all wearing bikini tops, shorts, flip-flops, and have drinks in hand. One of them playfully punches Teddy’s arm after he says something amusing, sending the rest into a chorus of giggles.

Nora watches with a mix of annoyance and resignation. She knows Teddy is attractive and is sure these girls think so too. His thick, dark brown hair and fit physique often has people guessing his true age. 

When she looks back out, she catches Teddy pointing toward the kitchen window. The girls turn and wave cheerfully at her. Startled, Nora feels her cheeks warm. She gives a quick, awkward half-smile before stepping out of view. Moments later, another burst of laughter erupts from outside. Nora is sure it was predicated on some lighthearted, but disparaging, remark Teddy made about her.

About thirty minutes later, Teddy emerges from the garage door, glistening and wiping sweat from his brow. “I’m gonna take a quick shower,” he says, heading toward the stairs.

Nora’s phone chimes with a notification that the pizza has arrived. “Make it quick—lunch just got here!” she calls after him as he jogs up the stairs. She opens the front door to find the pizza box sitting neatly on the doorstep, a smaller box perched on top—garlic knots, courtesy of Eduardo. Overhead, the delivery drone that dropped it off hums away into the sky.

As Nora grabs the boxes, she notices another drone descending into the yard next door. The college girls form a loose circle around it, their music blaring just loud enough to grate on Nora’s nerves. When the drone releases its cargo, they cheer and start pulling out beers, wine, and liquor from the bag. Nora mutters under her breath, “Lovely.”

She shuts the door, turning to find Sydney leaning against the back of the couch, her chin resting on her folded arms, staring through the window at the commotion next door. “Syd, why don’t you close the blinds for me, hun?” Nora says gently.

Sydney complies, but her posture betrays lingering curiosity. Nora lays a hand on her daughter’s head. “I know that life might look fun right now, but trust me—those girls won’t accomplish half the things I know you will.”

She pats Sydney’s head and gently nudges her toward the dining table. Sydney sighs but follows, her mind clearly still half next door as they sit down to eat.

As Teddy comes back downstairs after his shower, his hair damp and sticking up in odd directions, Sydney perks up from her spot at the table. A book is balanced on her knees, and she grins as she waves it toward him.

“Hey, Dad! Guess what I’m reading?”

Teddy glances over, tilting his head to read the spine. His face lights up. “Is that my old copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy? That’s great! What made you pick it up?”

Sydney shrugs, but her cheeks flush slightly. “You’re always quoting it, and I wanted to see if it was as good as you say.”

“Well, don’t forget—always know where your towel is,” Teddy says as he grabs his bath towel that was slung over his shoulder, and tosses it over Sydney’s head.

Sydney giggles, pulling the towel off her head and throwing it back at him. “Gross Dad, and plus I haven’t gotten to that part yet.”

Nora, observing from the kitchen, feels a twinge of something uncomfortably close to envy. She couldn’t recall the last time Sydney had picked something up just because it was her favorite.

As they all sit down for lunch, Max takes one look at the table and grimaces. “Can we eat in the living room, Dad? Texas is playing Texas A&M in basketball right now.”

“I think I’d rather have a quiet meal at the table,” Nora explains, glancing at Max, but her voice lacks conviction.

Max protests, slumping in his chair. “But Dad promised we’d watch it, it’s the conference championship.”

Teddy winks at Max and then looks at Nora. “What if he agrees to clean all this up and do the dishes when it’s over?”

Before Nora has a chance to interject Max cheers, already grabbing his plate and heading for the couch. “Deal!”

Nora watches as the two settle in front of the TV, their easy camaraderie like a club she doesn’t belong to. She can’t help but think about how much Max—and Sydney, for that matter—resembles Teddy. Sharing the same thick brown hair and deep brown eyes, while she feels like an outsider in the family she’s supposed to belong to.

They flick on the game and the sound of their shared excitement fills the house, but it feels oddly distant to her.

© 2026 Daniel Aiken. All Rights Reserved