Chapter 1

After reviewing your application, we regret to inform you that we can not offer you admission to Geraldine University of Science.

* * *

Dear Miss Greene,

We regret to inform you that your application to Madden University has been unsuccessful.

* * *

Your application has been unsuccessful.

We at NCS University wish you the best of luck for your future.

* * *

With trembling hands, I clicked onto the next message. Only to find yet another letter informing me of my failure. Bile rose in my throat and I fought back the urge to vomit as I closed the most recent rejection letter.

Unable to bear the sight of those words any longer, I shut the message application.

As I pushed my chair back from the desk, the computer dinged with another message notification. My heart was pounding as I stared in horror at the subject line that appeared on the screen.

No, please no. Eyes burning with unshed tears I opened the message already knowing what it would say.

CONFIDENTIAL FOR RECIPIENT ONLY

The Department of Digital Life.

Kadia Greene,

The Department of Digital Life has completed its review of your current citizenship status. As per section 22(b) of the Digital Life Act 2308, you have been selected for mandatory digitization.

You have three days to report to the nearest government capsule facility. Should you wish to make private arrangements for your digital citizenship, please contact the department within the three-day period with the details of the facility you will be using for your capsule storage.

Should you wish to dispute this decision, an appeal must be submitted by no later than forty-eight hours after receipt of this notice.

Secretary of Digital Citizenship, Department of Digital Life.

* * *

Everything around me was a blur of color as I leapt out of my chair, rushing towards the ensuite bathroom as my stomach rebelled.

Amid my sobs and retching, I heard the distinct sound of my bedroom door opening, but was unable to rise from my position in front of the toilet to see who'd entered my room.

"Katie?" A feminine voice called from the other room.

Why is it that after ten years of marriage to my father and twelve of being his mistress before that, you still act as though you don't know my name is KADIA! I silently raged.

Wiping my mouth on the sleeve of my shirt I pushed myself into a standing position.

"What do you want, Danica?" I croaked out, glaring at the woman who'd let herself into my room.

"Oh sweetie, you look positively horrid." Danica cooed, pressing a hand to her mouth with a look of feigned concern. "You'd best clean yourself up. Your father will be home shortly to discuss some important matters with you and won't be pleased if you come down looking like that."

He's coming home? But it's not even noon yet. I eyed the blond woman in silence, uncertain if she was lying, but her expression only held disgust as she stared at my vomit-splattered clothing.

Did he already find out about the rejection letter from Geraldine University? No, he wouldn't come home for that. He must know about the digitization order. Relief filled me, and I slumped against the ensuite's door frame. He'll know what to do, we'll contact the family lawyers and have them submit an appeal. Then, I'll start applying to more universities. Not getting into any of the tier one universities isn't the end of the world, there are lots of other universities that have good pharmaceutical science programs.

"I'll be down soon," I informed the blond bane of my life, before retreating into the bathroom and closing the door loud enough that I hoped she took the hint to fuck off.

To say I hated my stepmother would be a severe understatement.

That woman had made my life hell from the moment my father brought her home. Not even a week had passed after my mother died in an accident on her way home from a medical conference, before he brought his second family home.

Coming downstairs on the morning of my mother's funeral to see my father with Danica and their son was the second worst moment of my life.

The first being only days earlier when my father informed me of my mother's death.

At eight years old, my entire world was flipped upside down, and years later, I still hadn't managed to get it the right way up.

I took my time in the shower, using a few extra moments to regain some composure before I faced my father.

Donavon Greene was not a man for tears and he would not respond well to my incapability to control my emotions, regardless of the situation.

"Oh, honey, can you believe it? Our little boy, attending your alma mater, Madden University."

The sound of Danica's voice had me freezing in place on the stairs, as her words penetrated my mind. Marcus got accepted into Madden University? How?

There was no way he met the academic requirements and he certainly didn't get in through a sports program.

That moron hadn't played a single sport in his life, the only thing he ever played was make believe in his virtual reality capsule. He didn't even finish his final exam, leaving early so he could rush home to his capsule to meet up with his friends to raid a dungeon.

Marcus is the one who should be getting a digitalization order, he actually wants to enter a long-term capsule even if he doesn't receive a mandatory order. But, if that was true, why would he even apply for MRA? He never mentioned wanting to attend when I told him I'd submitted my own application. Taking a deep breath, I continued down the last few steps, paying extra attention to my foot placement.

Pain shot up my leg as I put weight on my right foot, but I gritted my teeth and ignored it, knowing I'd be scolded if I showed signs of limping in front of my father.

Entering the main parlor, I found my father seated on one of the settees with Danica practically glued to his side, as she sung my half-brother's praises.

Not that there was much for her to praise, Marcus almost never left his capsule in an attempt to avoid his mother.

"Sit." My father ordered when he saw me enter, his expression unfathomable as he stared at me through familiar dark brown eyes.

Those eyes were the only thing I'd inherited from the man who'd sired me, in every other way I was my mother's daughter.

A fact that I took great pride in, as it meant Danica's attempts to erase my mother's presence from our home would never succeed, not when I was a living embodiment of her.

"Father, I-" I began, my voice trailing off when he held up a hand for silence.

"I've been informed that you were granted a digitalization order. As such, I have requested my secretary to make suitable arrangements for your digital citizenship. Our company has several contracts with the Everlife corporation, who specialize in this area." My father continued speaking, droning on in an emotionless voice about the preparations for my transition into a long-term virtual reality capsule, but I'd stopped listening.

Staring at the man who I'd called father for eighteen years, I struggled to comprehend the fact that he'd not even once mentioned appealing the Department of Digital life's decision.

I knew for a fact that over sixty percent of appeals were won, and if not, the person submitting the appeal was given up to a year to show themselves to be a contributing member of society before undergoing a second review of their citizenship status.

"Appeal," I mumbled, barely able to get the words out.

"What did you say, Katie?" Danica asked sweetly, tilting her head to the side with a coy smile curling across her lips.

"I want to submit an appeal."

"A pointless endeavor," my father drawled, bringing my attention back to him. "On what grounds do you think you would win an appeal Kadia?"

"I," swallowing back the lump in my throat, I tried to articulate my thoughts before continuing. "My academic record, my future position at Greene Pharmaceutical."

"You think you would have a position at Greene Pharmaceutical when you did not even score high enough to graduate high school?" My father demanded.

"That's- that's not possible." I cried out, shaking my head. "I'm the highest scoring student in my year."

"Katie, sweetie, maybe you misread the report?" Danica crooned, letting out a high-pitched giggle. "It's an easy mistake to make, Marcus and your own identity numbers are only a single digit different after all."

"My name is Kadia," I snarled, jumping to my feet. "And it's not a fucking mistake anyone would make. Marcus hardly ever shows up for class and didn't even bother finishing the exam. If anyone should be getting shoved in a capsule it's your dumbass son."

"Enough!"

A loud shout from my normally stoic father caused me to flinch, and I gaped at him in shock as he stood, expression cold as he spoke.

"The Everlife corporation will be sending a car to collect you in an hour. You can spend that time in your room sorting through your belongings for donation."

"Sorting through my belongings for donation? Have you taken leave of your senses, you senile old bastard!" I shrieked, my voice taking on an even higher pitch than his bitch of a wife.

Moving faster than I could register, my father closed the distance between us and a sharp pain burst across my left cheek.

Hand pressed to my face, I stared in shock at my father's back as he strode from the room without another word.

Danica's mocking laughter filtered through my turbulent thoughts as she moved to stand in front of me.

"Katie, Katie, Katie," she said with an exaggerated sigh. "Such a silly, little girl you are."

Well, if I'm going to end up in a capsule, anyway. I may as well make use of my last moments in this house. I didn't allow myself a chance to consider any consequences of my actions, and instead lunged towards the woman who'd made the last ten years of my life a living hell.

By the time my father came rushing back into the room with one of the house maids to pull me away, Danica's face was a bloodied, unrecognizable mess.

As the Everlife staff wheeled me out of my former home in a restraint chair, I couldn't hold in the hysterical laughter that bubbled up from within.

Guess daddy is going to be paying for a new nose for the bitch. I watched with glee as I saw my father climb into his car with a bloody and battered Danica.

A sharp prick of pain in my shoulder had my laughter faltering, and I craned my head to the side to see a gloved hand holding a needle tipped syringe pulling away.

The world around me blurred and spun as I was loaded into the back of a van.

As dark spots danced before my eyes, I tried in vain to keep my mind focused, but the foggy pull of the syringe's contents dragged me into sleep.