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interlocking swirls of his tattoos, he was on the absolute top of the Game. Why on earth be an addict when you can design your own worlds safe and sound in a PIP?
    Then Jason’s words from before penetrate. ‘He’s always here? Have you been coming here on your own?’
    Jason shakes his head. ‘No. Not on my own; with friends from school.’
    So they’re not always plugged in, and while that is good to know, I’m sure this would be news to Sally. If she knew it’d be banned straight away.
    ‘It’s perfectly safe,’ Jason protests, reading my face.
    ‘Come on. Back to our bikes. We’re going home.’
    This time we head straight for the El gate at Queens Road, and Jason uses his Implant to message Melrose to let us in. The gates swing open.
    ‘She’s out shopping. Says see you later,’ Jason relays.
    As we ride the El back over all the beautiful, sprawling mansions and gardens of Melrose’s neighbourhood, I wonder: what if we didn’t know someone here, and couldn’t get the gates to open? Unless we repeat the way we went this morning, something I don’t really want to do – at least, not with Jason – the whole park is barred to us. My eyes search out the gates and barriers scattered about these exclusive neighbourhoods, the encroaching dying streets beyond.
    Though close in distance, our own street is a million miles away from both Melrose’s mansion and the dark areas.
    But the latter are closer.

7
    ‘Good ride?’ Dad asks.
    Jason holds up a hand and Dad gives him a high five.
    ‘You should have unplugged earlier and come with us,’ I say. ‘Get some real sunshine.’ Dad is pale, his skin almost waxy: it hasn’t seen the sun in months.
    ‘Why not programme the PIP life support to give some artificial sunlight every day?’ Sally suggests.
    ‘Clever woman, that’s why I married you.’ Dad kisses Sally and I resist the urge to mime retching, but then Jason does it for me. I wink at him.
    ‘Maybe the real thing would be healthier. You used to take me to the park.’ I mentally add, you and Astra , but don’t say it out loud. Nothing would send Sally into a grump faster than being reminded of the more gorgeous, smarter and all-round better woman she can only fail to replace. And I don’t want to do or say anything to make Dad avoid unplugging for weeks again. Isn’t that the real reason why he married her? Once Nanna started to lose it, he needed someone to look after things, so he could hide away from troubling reality with a clear conscience.
    ‘Parks and sunshine are kid stuff,’ Sally says. ‘Jason is outgrowing them.’ Unsaid, but there, on her face: Jason is outgrowing you.
    I narrow my eyes. ‘There were no kids in the park today at all. Just babies, little ones. None near Jason’s age, or mine. Once they get Implants they don’t want to play any more.’
    Sally frowns and I know I’m verging into her not-in-front-of-Jason areas, but I want to hear what Dad thinks about it.
    ‘They’re still playing – just not where you can see them,’ Dad says.
    ‘It’s not the same,’ I say.
    ‘Of course it isn’t,’ Sally answers. ‘It’s safer. No broken arms or skinned knees. And no passing germs around to each other. Especially at your age.’
    I roll my eyes. ‘It’d be hard to break an arm cycling on an El. And there are plenty of opportunities to catch germs in school, y’know. If one is interested in germs .’ But she is right about one thing. It didn’t take Melrose’s updates yesterday, I already knew: the whole boy-girl scene at my school is virtual. Everyone looks better on a v-date than they do in real life; everyone has a designer wardrobe; everyone is a good kisser. If you don’t fancy meeting up with someone who exists, a whole range of fantasy boyfriends is available once you pass the under-sixteen blocks, and you can’t catch anything or get pregnant. What’s not to like?
    Unless you happen to be a Refuser. Unless you would like something real