Authors: Suzanne Weyn

The Bar Code Rebellion (18 page)

DAVID YOUNG LEAVES JAIL A WELL MAN AS LAST PROTESTER IS RELEASED

Washington, DC. November 8, 2025
— In a stunning recovery, David Young left his hospital room early this morning. Upon learning that the last protester arrested during the October 13 protest had been released, he got dressed and walked outside where he was met by the press and a throng of ever-growing supporters. He thanked the crowd for their faith in him and their many letters and cards. He also thanked whoever started the movement to send him fortune cookies with encouraging messages. “They helped me hang on in my darkest moments,” he said. “I read every one of them.”

He was joined by his father, Ambrose Young. “This is far from over,” Ambrose Young told the press.

AMBROSE YOUNG DROPS GLOBAL-1 BOMBSHELL

Washington, DC. November 12, 2025
— Today, Ambrose Young presented evidence
to the United States Senate of a shocking plot by the multinational company Global-1 to control the citizens of the United States as well as other nations by the use of embedded nanotechnology. Citing proof from an undisclosed source, former Senator Young turned documents over to the Speaker of the House that detail the company’s program. The Global-1 plan has been in the works since the inception of the bar code tattoo. President Loudon Waters is mentioned as the vehicle by which Global-1 intended to implement universal compliance with the bar code. By day’s end, sixteen senators had called for impeachment proceedings to begin.

DR. SARAH ALAN HEADS MOVEMENT OF DOCTORS OFFERING FREE LASER TATTOO REMOVAL

New York, NY. November 30, 2025
— Dr. Sarah Alan is happy to be back in her office. She is even happier with the new tattoo-removing laser she’s purchased. In conjunction with a nationwide network of doctors working with and coordinated by Dr. Alan — Doctors of Compassion (DOC) — bar code tattoos are being removed
from morning until late into the night. “Some people still think they’re cool and want to keep them,” Dr. Alan said. “That’s their right, but there’s no more information stored in them other than the person’s name. As for the embedded nanorobotics, our panel of physicians has studied the issue and released a paper stating that we believe the nanos will disintegrate over a six-month period if they are not utilized. The representative from Global-1 confirmed our findings during last month’s Senate investigation.”

DAVID YOUNG ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR A PRESIDENTIAL RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE

Washington, DC. December 31, 2025
— David Young announced today that he is throwing his hat in the ring and making a bid for the presidency in the upcoming special election scheduled for this March. Though he has many supporters from both parties, Young says he can be most effective as an Independent. “The many people in this country who have supported me have had enough of self-serving special interest groups,” he told the press today. Among his
campaign promises, Young has vowed to work with other nations affected by the nanobiotech threat of the bar code tattoo. He also promises a special commission dedicated to addressing and righting wrongs perpetrated on citizens hurt by the bar code tattoos. In addition, he has promised a spate of new legislation aimed at protecting rights of individual privacy. “New technologies will always offer the greedy and power hungry new opportunities to oppress its citizenry. Advances in science must be made with due consideration. They can advance the health and well-being of all people, or they can enslave them. In a free society we must work together to make this a world where human dignity is the yardstick by which we measure progress.”

It gives me great pleasure

indeed to see the stubbornness of an

incorrigible nonconformist warmly acclaimed.

Albert Einstein

The world, which had been shut down, lost to them, was back. And yet it would never be the same to Kayla.

She had made peace with the idea of being a clone. It was really no stranger than being a twin — or a sextuplet. She wouldn’t be the first person on earth to have to deal with
that.

Being transgenic, part bird, was a bit more complex. What did it mean for her future health? In the last week of December, she phoned Dr. Sarah Alan’s office in New York, DOC headquarters. Dr. Alan herself picked up the phone, and when Kayla gave her name she was met with silence on the other end. “Excuse me,” the doctor spoke after a moment, “but I thought you were … I thought I read in the paper that you …”

“I’m not dead,” Kayla said. “That wasn’t me. It was a clone.”

“A clone,” Dr. Alan echoed. “My mother phoned and told me all about you before she and Dad died. They were very fond of you. Are you all right?”

“I think so,” Kayla said. “But I have serious things I’d like to talk to you about. May I make an
appointment for myself and my … sister? She’s a clone, too.”

Kayla didn’t feel a compelling responsibility toward Kendra, Kara, or Kass. But KM-6 was different.

KM-6 had saved the world — in a way.

She’d also saved Kayla’s life — probably.

KM-6 made Kayla think of the black-capped chickadee she’d brought back to life that day in the Adirondacks. She wondered now if she could do as much for KM-6. She was willing to try, anyway.

“Bring her in to see me,” Dr. Alan said. “I’ll have a few of my associates available, and we’ll figure out what you both need. Make an appointment for sometime in early January.”

Dusa came into Allyson’s apartment on New Year’s Day, a bit weary from the hearty party to bring in 2026 that they’d attended at Artie’s place, but ready to make the trip back east as planned. “Now that I don’t have to be scary anymore, I’m going back to my real name,” she announced. “I’ll join the
K
club as an honorary member.”

“We don’t have a Katie,” Kayla said. “Join the club.”

KM-6 was sitting by the window, staring out. The long dark hair they’d brushed to a shine for her gleamed in the sunlight. With better clothing and grooming, her resemblance to Kayla was more obvious, but she still seemed frail, birdlike.

“Speaking of the
K
club,” Katie said, crossing to KM-6, “you have a family now, kiddo. And I think you need a better name than KM-6. Do you like Karen?”

KM-6 looked up at her. For the first time they’d seen, she smiled.

“Okay!” Katie said, returning the smile. “Karen it is!”

Mfumbe came out of the bathroom and wished everyone a happy new year. From the moment Jack shut down the nanobots, his recovery had been rapid. Occasionally, he felt pain where he’d been injured in the Washington beating, but mostly he was better.

The moment Kayla had seen him again she knew her love for him was as strong as it had ever been. They’d decided to go to Washington, DC, to work on the David Young presidential campaign. After that, Mfumbe wanted to apply to college. He’d once been offered a scholarship he couldn’t take because he had no bar code. Now that the bar code was no longer required, maybe the scholarship would still be available.

Kayla didn’t know what she’d do. She was still wanted by the police. Mfumbe was, too, for assaulting Zekeal during the raid last summer. But the G-1 police were under intense scrutiny, and she’d heard that cases involving infractions of bar code tattoo policy were being dropped or simply forgotten. She knew they didn’t really think she’d burned
down her house or been responsible for her mother’s death. They had simply wanted a reason to bring her in. It was likely that all the charges against her would simply go away.

They were just about packed and ready to leave when Allyson and Jack came in. “We’ve made a decision,” Allyson announced, beaming with pleasure.

“You’re getting married,” Katie guessed.

“Worse,” Jack told her, also clearly happy. “We’re incorporating!”

“What?” Kayla asked.

Allyson sat at the kitchen table. “We talked about it all last night. The swing-lo works. It just needs to be made to look more sleek, more attractive. We want to go into business and be one of the first companies out there with it. We met these guys who invest in startup companies last night at the party, and they’re really interested in funding us.”

Kayla hugged Allyson. “That’s so exciting!”

“When you get big, you might need private trucking to deliver the swing-los,” Katie mentioned.

“Absolutely,” Jack agreed.

“Kayla, I love your art,” Allyson said. “Could you start working on a company logo for us?”

“Sure.”

“If this company is a success, we want you to be our art director,” Allyson added.

“That would be so final level,” Kayla said, excited
at the idea. She immediately envisioned a drawing of the swing-lo flying beside … a bird. Maybe a whole flock of birds.

She suddenly remembered the first stanza of a poem Mfumbe had recently read to her from the slim volume of poetry he’d been carrying around. It was called “Hope” and was by Emily Dickinson:

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all.

For the first time in a year, Kayla saw her possibilities as limitless. And she was filled with new hope.

Suzanne Weyn thanks and deeply appreciates these people for sharing with her their great ideas, insights, and most especially their interest in this book, this story so close to her heart: Tisha Hamilton, Greg Holch, David Levithan, Robert Maloney, David M. Young (the real one), Karen Weise, and Ted Weyn. (Thanks, Dad, for the recommended related readings.)