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sugar was a universal language.
    â€œIt’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” said Sam. Neil was speechless. When the pizza was ready, Neil chowed down on slice after slice as Reboot told tales of his high-seas exploits.
    â€œGuys, I don’t want to be a buzzkill,” said Biggs, his mouth full of Peruvian hot cocoa. “But we should get back soon. Everybody was going to stay at my house another night, plus I’ve got like ninety litter boxes to clean.”
    â€œDon’t worry. I’ve contacted your mother on behalf of the Robiskie Foundation, letting her know the three of you were selected as convention guests of honor, receiving a free night’s stay,” said Wifi. “As for the cat litter, you’re on your own.”
    â€œRiley will help your mom out, I’m sure,” said Neil.
    â€œAnyone care for cereal dessert?” asked Reboot. He opened boxes of exotic cereal from Panama and Vancouver. Neil ate fistfuls of sugary flakes and chocolate-flavored puffy puffs. His tongue was raw from the sugar overload, but he was in bliss. With Biggs and Samfading, Neil and Reboot Robiskie moved to his server room to watch kids across the globe do Chameleon battle. The room glowed with the flashing of screens. A few tiny white lights were built into the ceiling.
    â€œI could live forever on this yacht,” said Neil. “And I get seasick pretty easily, so that’s saying something.”
    Reboot chuckled.
    â€œYou all are funny. It’s good to have you aboard.”
    For someone living every kid’s dream, Reboot Robiskie didn’t seem very enthusiastic. Neil imagined a life of constantly being on the run, though. It would get old fast.
    â€œIs it just you and Wifi out here all the time? I bet you guys get bored,” said Neil. “You do have space for a bigger crew.”
    â€œIt’s the life we’ve chosen,” Reboot said. “And I’ve learned it’s very hard to find people to trust.”
    â€œWhy do you trust us?”
    â€œCall it a hunch.”
    Neil slurped his slushie and looked at the games Reboot was currently hosting. A pleasant moment of silence passed between them.
    â€œI like collecting things from parts of the worldpeople couldn’t even imagine,” Reboot said, the fans from his server flipping on in the background. “Like my newest toy; I call it ‘The Crow’s Nest.’”
    Reboot pulled out a small drone from a dark corner of the room. It looked a lot like Neil’s back home.
    â€œNo way! That thing is awesome.”
    â€œIt was awesome. But I broke it last week when I was escaping from the Japanese coast guard.”
    â€œI made one for myself, but I broke it, too. . . . It went haywire at a robotics convention.”
    â€œThat’s still pretty cool that you made it yourself,” said Reboot, placing the robot back on the ground.
    He and Neil plopped into comfy chairs. It was somewhere near noon in Shanghai when Neil’s eyes finally closed, his smiling lips stained purple.

“OH, SWEET MERCIFUL FRUCTOSE,” SAID NEIL, HIS EYES WHIPPING open. He’d fallen asleep in a chair surrounded by video games. Neil’s breath smelled like dried slugs. He slowly got up and walked out onto the lower level of the ship. It was morning, and the sun was just beginning to crawl up over the horizon. Neil looked around for Reboot, but he was nowhere to be found.
    Must be in his quarters. I wish I could live somewhere with quarters.
    Neil did his best to clean up as he made his wayto the top deck, grabbing half-full bags of candy and picking up some of the few hundred mozzarella sticks covering the stairs.
    Biggs and Sam were on either side of the top deck, both still asleep. Biggs’s lips were stained purple, and Sam’s glasses were covered in caramel.
    â€œRise and shine, recruits,” Neil said. “We accidentally went into candy hibernation, I