Lost in the System

Smullian O’Toole, grifter, enjoys serving his prison term. Other than the daily upchucking, Life Modification Therapy is the sweetest sentence 21st century Earth offers. The system biotransposes his essence into a different 21st century person daily, whereas his body stays in the future. The therapy rehabilitates felons by teaching them the value of honest labor. On day 777, he hears a disembodied voice utter, “Father to the Fatherless.” Thus, begins the mother of all system glitches that shatters Life Mod rules and regulations. Instead of following the usual program, the system thrusts Smullian into the case of David Hawthorne, a missing teenaged orphan.

Smullian realizes the glitch shows purpose and design. Someone, maybe the Father to the Fatherless, controls the situation, not the technicians at Life Mod. Each new host forces Smullian to confront his own inner demons—as well as pointing him to David.

What initially seems like the clear-cut case of a runaway—grows more ominous with every clue. Smullian knows he’s not the hero type. But he’s all David has.