[Read by Paul Michael Garcia]What is life without the Web? -- When the Internet suddenly stops working, society reels from the loss of flowing data, instant messages, and streaming entertainment. Addicts wander the streets, talking to themselves in 140 characters or less and forcing cats to perform tricks for their amusement, while the truly desperate pin their requests for casual encounters on public bulletin boards. The economy tumbles further and the government passes the draconian NET Recovery Act. -- For Gladstone, the Net's disappearance comes particularly hard following the loss of his wife, leaving his flask of Jameson and grandfather's fedora as the only comforts in his Brooklyn apartment. But there are rumors that someone in New York is still online.
