Simulated, p.1
Simulated, page 1
PRAISE FOR SIMULATED
“Calculated was so incredible that I didn’t think it was possible for the sequel to one-up it, and yet here we are. Simulated has all the mission impossible action you could hope for, paired with a love triangle that rivals the intensity of Twilight’s. Be prepared to choose sides and hold on tight. You’re in for one wild ride.” — Chelsea Bobulski, author of The Wood
"Full of global intrigue and the thrilling adventure of an action movie, Simulated transported me to the lush setting of North Africa as I cheered for an utterly unique heroine fighting for good and finding her place in the world. Action-packed and captivating - I couldn’t put it down." —Becky Dean, author of Love and Other Great Expectations and Perfect Picture Boyfriend
“Brilliantly crafted, this technological thriller delivers punch after punch of heart-pounding action. The fearless heroine and two equally intriguing love interests had me flying through the pages. I’m in love with this series!” —Lorie Langdon, author of the Disney Villains Happily Never After Series, Doon Series, and Olivia Twist
“With thrilling adventure and cunning suspense, Simulated is the most riveting sequel I’ve ever read—a masterpiece destined for the stars!” —Ellen McGinty, author of Saints and Monsters and The Water Child
"An intricate thriller, Simulated is reminiscent of James Bond or Jason Bourne-style action and mystery. You won't be able to put it down!" - Jessica Day George, NYT bestselling author of Silver in the Blood and the Twelve Dancing Princesses series
“Jo Rivers is back in this stunning sequel, with beloved characters from Calculated and a team of new faces readers won’t soon forget. In Simulated, we see a different side of the ever-powerful Jo—a girl struggling to get her math gift back, while trying to understand the calculations of her heart. This book has it all—high stakes, romance, self-discovery, friendship, and adventure. A must read.” – Tamara Girardi, Author of Gridiron Girl and the Iron Valley High series
PRAISE FOR CALCULATED
“A high-stakes YA tale of betrayal, revenge, and numbers... An enjoyable thriller with an intriguing, relatable protagonist.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This delightful book will hook readers from the first page and have them longing for more.”- School Library Journal
“An intense and wonderfully complex thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and turning pages!” – Jessica Day George, NYT bestselling author of Silver in the Blood and the Twelve Dancing Princesses series
“Masterful. Gripping. Addictive. Don’t let another minute go by without reading this book.” — Chelsea Bobulski, author of The Wood and Remember Me
“Twisty and original, Calculated will keep readers guessing and hoping to its pulse-pounding end!” – Lorie Langdon, best-selling author of Disney's Happily Never After series, Doon and Olivia Twist
“Sleek and sophisticated, with dark secrets at every turn, Calculated is impossible to put down.” – Shannon Dittemore, author of Winter, White and Wicked
“Calculated is… a thrilling story that takes you from Shanghai's glittering high rises to underground prisons and the plights faced by the characters who feel achingly real...” – Judy Lin, NYT bestselling author of A Magic Steeped in Poison
“Calculated's cinematic imagery entices and immerses the reader in deceit and corruption so suffocatingly thick that only a tenacious fight for justice and freedom can satisfy. What a ride! Don’t miss out.” — Wayne Lo, Lucas Films Visual Arts Director
"An intricate thriller, Simulated is reminiscent of James Bond or Jason Bourne-style action and mystery. You won’t be able to put it down!" – Jessica Day George, NYT bestselling author of Silver in the Blood and the Twelve Dancing Princesses series
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, publications, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
SIMULATED Copyright © 2021 by Nova McBee.
All rights reserved.
For information, contact Nova McBee, LLC
novamcbee.com
Cover design by Cherie Chapman
ISBNS 979-8-9894015-5-0 (ebook)
979-8-9894015-3-6 (paperback)
979-8-9894015-4-3 (hardcover)
First Edition: May 2021
No AI Training: Without any limitation on the author or publisher’s exclusive copyright rights, any use of this publication to train generative artificial intelligence is expressly prohibited.
To Olivia for traveling to the farthest lands with me.
&
To the untamed, the rough, and those in chaos—there is calculated
beauty in you.
Fractal |ˈfraktəl| Mathematics
noun
an infinite pattern or design found in nature, in dynamic systems, in chaos, and in what appears rough or random; broken, fractured part of the whole.
“Fractals are just another way of seeing infinity.”
Benoit Mandelbrot
Simulated
Nova McBee
Nova McBee LLC.
Contents
. Chapter
PROLOGUE
Blank Page
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
23. Chapter 23
24. Chapter 24
25. Chapter 25
26. Chapter 26
27. Chapter 27
28. Chapter 28
29. Chapter 29
30. Chapter 30
31. Chapter 31
32. Chapter 32
33. Chapter 33
34. Chapter 34
35. Chapter 35
36. Chapter 36
37. Chapter 37
38. Chapter 38
39. Chapter 39
40. Chapter 40
41. Chapter 41
42. Chapter 42
43. Chapter 43
44. Chapter 44
45. Chapter 45
46. Chapter 46
47. Chapter 47
48. Chapter 48
49. Chapter 49
50. Chapter 50
51. Chapter 51
52. Chapter 52
53. Chapter 53
54. Chapter 54
55. Chapter 55
56. Chapter 56
57. Chapter 57
58. Chapter 58
59. Chapter 59
60. Chapter 60
61. Chapter 61
62. Chapter 62
63. Chapter 63
64. Chapter 64
65. Chapter 65
66. Chapter 66
67. Chapter 67
68. Chapter 68
69. Chapter 69
70. Chapter 70
71. Chapter 71
EPILOGUE
SNEAK PEAK: ACTIVATED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“A thumbprint in the stars, a pattern in the trees, order in the ocean waves.
There’s always a path through the chaos...”
N.J.A.
PROLOGUE
My goal today: don’t drown.
It shouldn’t be too hard. I’ll just be scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea…above ground…fully clothed…in a dry, dark room at Prodigy Stealth Solution’s headquarters in Seattle.
When Ms. Taylor, the PSS director, told me she had a way to get my gift back, virtual simulations where ‘staying alive’ was a main factor wasn’t what I had in mind. But the numbers buried in my brain respond to it. Maybe I have a secret death wish lurking deep in my subconscious, or it’s simply a survival thing. Either way, I’m here, willing to do anything to jumpstart my numbers again.
“Get comfortable, Josephine,” Ms. Taylor says in her stern, calm voice. “We’ll have you connected to our neural simulators in just a minute and everything about this exercise will feel real.”
I settle into a chair, the only piece of furniture in the middle of the room. Under the smooth material, the odd seat is made of soft gel. As I settle into it, the gel molds to cushion my body. A seatbelt, which is made of the same material, loops across my chest and my waist, gently securing me in place. I barely notice it. Already I feel weightless.
Ms. Taylor’s assistants attach small sensors to my fingers and temples as I listen closely to her instructions.
“As with all of your simulations, the room itself will shift depending on the exercise. Last time, the wind pressed against you as you jumped from the plane. Today, you’ll feel the pressure of being underwater. You’ll be a mile offshore and about 100 feet deep. You’ll be given certain challenges to overcome and choices to make. Do you remember the system?”
“I remember.” I glance around the room covered in large screens, all loaded with my memories and programs made for me. “You’ll give me only 30% of the information and equipment that I’ll need for the goal.”
“Correct. You must locate the sunken ship, grab the gold coin in t
I nod.
“Although this phase is the gentlest of the three simulations we designed for you, it may still trigger areas of your trauma.” This is the part where Ms. T demands I look her in the eye. Her unwavering black eyes are steely and full of fire. This woman is a powerhouse. She’s worked with countless prodigies, helping them hone their gifts to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems, and she just keeps pushing boundaries. I swear Ms. T could have put King in his place with one stare. But underneath her stern features, a motherly heart beats; at least towards me. “Now, if you want to proceed, please say ‘I agree’ as your verbal signature.”
“I agree.”
As I sign the agreement with my voice, my heart starts to pound a bit faster. I never really know what I’m agreeing to. Last month, I nearly froze to death in arctic temperatures trying to find my way back to base camp on Everest. Another time, I came seconds away from plummeting to the ground while skydiving over Abu Dhabi in a sandstorm because I couldn’t open my parachute. Most recently, I skidded down a mountainside cliff in Peru on a high-powered motorcycle—just to mention a few close-calls. Although, my gift hasn’t “woken up” yet in those dangerous moments, it’s flickered. Not for more than a few seconds at a time, but even that small taste fuels my desperate hunger to try again.
Each week I’m thrust into a new series of complex challenges with tech they’ve designed specifically from the broken pieces of my life.
There are three phases to my sims. Phase one is called: Before Trauma—it’s the time before I lost my mom, when life was simple; Phase two is called: Facing Trauma—in these sims I am in China where I lost my gift; Phase three is called: Adventure—these are new challenges to jump-start my gift. All the sims are connected to neural pathways of my brain that shut down after my experiences in China. They also draw on recreated memories and visuals taken from those periods in my life. It’s strange experiencing my life in 4-D.
But I’m impatient to get my gift back. Operating without it has made me feel like a small child trying to drive a car—I have to stretch and strain to reach the gas pedal, and I can barely see over the steering wheel, whereas my old life felt like driving a Ferrari on the autobahn.
“This exercise is 30 minutes long. We’ll be monitoring your neural activity but the content of what you experience inside the simulation will be private. If you need out, press this red button.” She taps the button on the side of the chair.
“I understand.”
“Alright,” she says, slipping a light helmet over my head, and gloves on my hands. “Have fun down there. Let your mind do the work. I’ll see you at the meeting point.”
And just like that, I sink into the clear, blue water.
The sea is warm—somehow I feel it, smell it. The water is a translucent, electric blue. My first emotion is happiness. There is nothing to fear…yet. I stay near the surface. I’m thrilled to be out of my father’s house. He’s been so protective since I came home that this…feels like freedom. At the same time, unpleasant memories of water during my time in China float endlessly in the back of my mind—Lev attacking me at the pool, Celia’s command that I die by drowning, King shoving me underwater for terrifying minutes at a time. But that’s all behind me, I tell myself. So after the pressure settles in my ears, I dive deeper.
My diving suit is black and tight. The mask on my face and mouth press against my temples and forehead, connecting securely to my air tanks. My ears echo with the sound of my own breathing. This is the most realistic simulated experience I’ve had yet. Even the hair on my head feels weightless, floating around me. I marvel for a moment. It’s not real, but with each minute, my brain insists otherwise.
The sim doesn’t provide a map, but the ship is easy to see. I need to go down further. Thirty more feet? Fifty? I hate that I don’t know, hate that I can’t estimate more accurately.
When I look up, the surface feels miles away and I shiver even inside my suit.
My neural pathways have come alive now. The sim is making me believe I really am underwater, away from shore, breathing through a tank of air. I don’t know how to use the equipment. I’m not supposed to. The pressure against my body is heavy, constricting. I tell myself it’s not real, once, twice, three times. But slowly, my brain is absorbed into the false reality.
As I swim along, clear miles of sea stretch out before me. There are no other divers. Just me and the great big ocean. And fish. They swim past me, flashing vibrant colors of red and yellow and cobalt blue. I’m in awe of my surroundings. I want to follow the stony coral reef out farther, forget about the exercise and just enjoy myself. But I know, eventually, something will go wrong. That’s when my gift kicks in—the moment I need it.
The sunken ship is now just a dolphin-dive away. I kick my flippers aiming toward it and easily locate the cabin. It’s dark inside. I turn on my underwater light. Eerie particles of dust and algae float across my vision as I squeeze through a narrow opening into the cabin. Fish dart to and fro and I want to get out quickly. On a rotting table sits a gold coin. I grab it as instructed and swim out. At the cabin door, my headlamp dies. Everything is gray now. It’s still light enough to see, but the sun is setting above me.
A spark of numbers whips past me. It’s only a few seconds but an underwater map appears in my head. I know clearly where I am—off the coast of Queensland Australia, not far from where we caught Madame. My mind calculates the distance from where I am to the shore. With it comes a realization. I am alone.
My gift blinks out.
I don’t like thinking about Madame. But my mind does anyway. What if she gets out of prison? What if she knew I was nearby?
I shake it off. The gold coin is in my hand. Time to swim back to shore before it’s totally dark. I’m almost clear of the ship when my equipment gets snagged on a piece of coral. My fin gets stuck too. I can’t get free. I’m locked in an awkward position. Shadows of fish around me get larger by the second. In the gray watery distance, sharks begin to circle. Schools of fish swirl around my mask, blocking my view. I can’t see my feet. I try to smack them away. The fish flip back and forth mirroring my panic and continuing to block my line of vision.
Think, Jo.
As I concentrate, a buzzer in my ear alerts me that my oxygen is almost gone. I need to switch to my reserve tank and head to the surface, but I wasn’t given any information on how to do that. There are gauges on my arm I don’t know how to read.
I tinker with buttons and the dials, but nothing works. My foot is still stuck, and my breathing becomes uneven.
In the back of my mind, something tells me I’m fine. But all I hear is beeping. My heart is beating out of control. My mind darts to King. He shoved me under the water. The capillaries in my face broke. My larynx was damaged for days. I couldn’t breathe. I almost drowned.
My breathing comes in ragged gasps now. I’m panicking. Nothing is working! I don’t want to be here. I’m stuck in the ocean. Left to die. Again. Another bad set of cards dealt. All my luck is bad.
I yell into the mask, hoping Ms. T hears me. But no one responds. What did she tell me to do? What button was I supposed to push? I can’t remember. It’s too dark. I’m miles below shore. My oxygen tank is low.
My gift is not kicking in. It’s not working! Nothing is working!
“Let me out!” I yell, losing it. Why does everything I do almost get me killed?
The very breath in my lungs will be ripped from me in seconds. Once again, I’m faced with death and no one’s here to help me. I’m about to rip the helmet off, let the water rush in.
