Sycamore
Page 28
“Nothing. She never mentioned him.”
“And this number?”
Kurt re-examined the three digits after the ripped-out section of page beside Ernesto’s name. “It’s probably the end of his phone number,” he guessed.
Minion shook his head. “942 is 94.2. It’s an old radio frequency. I know she brought a radio here. Get it and put it on; you need to hear this. We need to find Ernesto.”
Kurt fetched Stacy’s radio from the shower and tuned it to 94.2. A young-sounding dissident was midway through a looping call for support.
“The future may be Sycamore’s but only if we let them have it,” said the somehow familiar voice. “Right now, this moment… this is ours. All the lies in the world can’t take this away from us. Anyone with knowledge of The Seed and its operation will be especially welcomed and prior involvement with the company will be seen as an advantage rather than held against you. But whoever you are, if you are still listening, we need you. You aren’t happy. We aren’t scared. Revolution is not your enemy, she is your only friend. But revolution doesn’t happen by itself.”
Kurt stood up, moved by the dissident’s stirring address. His mind flowed like a river carrying romantic thoughts of revolution and justice for Stacy and the professor.
In that moment Kurt realised that Professor Walker had been right. The moral wasn’t “don’t try.” It wasn’t “give up when the system seems unbreakable.” The moral had always been the same: “hate the system and find the flaw that can destroy it. Hijack the system and use it to kill itself.” Suddenly it all made sense. The moral really was “always try.” It had to be.
Because from death came fury and from fury came passion — passion intoxicated by the promise of revolution. Deliciously attainable, man’s only friend was Kurt’s only option. Time alone stood between him and vengeance.
Kurt looked inside himself and decided he was in, even before the final line of the broadcast. He started towards his room to pack a bag while the message came through the speakers in an assured and empowered tone.
“I am Ernesto Palamino, and you are exactly what we need.”
Author’s Notes
Grab your free Sycamore spin-off now at craigafalconer.com
Thanks for reading
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for spending time with my debut novel. I know that there is a mind-boggling array of competition for your attention, so I really do mean this. Thank you.
Kurt's journey from idealistic graduate to would-be revolutionary touches on important issues of privacy, corporate power and societal distractions. The recent revelations of covert digital surveillance and the impending release of Augmented Reality eyewear means that these issues are only going to become more important as we move forward. I feel they are worthy of more attention than they receive.
If you enjoyed reading Sycamore, please pass it on! I would greatly appreciate it if you could spare a few moments to leave a helpful review on Amazon and, if you are a member, Goodreads. Reviews help readers find books they might otherwise have missed, and more readers ultimately means that more books of this type will be written. Sharing Sycamore with a friend or family member who might enjoy it is just as helpful.
Please don't underestimate the difference your reviews and recommendations can make. Word of mouth represents a young author's best chance of gaining any kind of traction in today's crowded marketplace, and each kind word makes a huge difference. Thank you.
New releases and a FREE Sycamore spin-off
Funscreen, a short spin-off from Sycamore, is now available for free from Amazon and other major ebook retailers. The idea for Funscreen came to me while I was writing this novel so there are core thematic similarities and hence a strong chance that readers who enjoy one will enjoy the other.
The titular Funscreen is the ultimate smart TV, capable of tracking viewers' eye movements to deliver targeted advertising with military precision. The Funscreen is to a regular TV what The Seed is to a regular smartphone....
Like millions of others, Roger Birch's family depend on ad-viewing income for their survival.
Unlike millions of others, the events of one evening leave Roger aware of the government's real reason for investing in Funscreen.
With HD cameras hidden behind a 60-inch glass veil, the answer was staring him in the face all along.
Every family has a Funscreen. The question is... who's watching who?
Responses to reader questions
I've been asked if there will be a sequel to Sycamore, and the short answer is no. Kurt's decision to remove the Seed he worked so hard to create feels like the natural end-point of our story, bringing him full circle as it does.
This theme of a protagonist's cyclical development is common, in varying degrees, to several of the classic cautionary works that have influenced my writing. Dystopian novels don't typically make for happy endings, but I consciously sought to encourage the hope that Kurt and Minion will succeed in bringing Sycamore down.
Although there will be no sequel to Sycamore, I have several new works on the horizon. Look out for my sci-fi conspiracy novel High Below in early 2014 and my epic new series Terradox later in the year. The best way to stay informed of new and future releases is at craigafalconer.com and via twitter (@craigafalconer).
Thanks once more for reading Sycamore, and I hope to see you again soon!
craigafalconer.com
Table of Contents
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Author’s Notes
Table of Contents
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Author’s Notes