Prom Revolution

Prom Revolution, a novella, takes place in the year 2116. Mikey, born outside the city, doesn’t trust the government and his fears take center stage when he learns that the instantaneous transports don’t work as promised. In 2116 if you want to go surfing in Hawaii, you but a ticket, walk into a transport station anywhere in the world and in seconds walk out from a station in Hawaii. The transportation is quick, painless and easy. Mikey, smarter than your average genius, has spotted missing code in the information sent for each transmission. If you send people around in the world and fail to send all the information what just happened? Is it a harmless error or something worse? Prom Revolution follows Mikey and his best friend, Steve, as they prepare for Steve’s first jump using a transport and then deal with the consequences. Sometimes the world changes when a kid tries to do the right thing and protect a friend.

Except from the book:
Hiding on top of the bookcase, I watch my identical self below. His suit changes colors from blue to yellow, bound to Sadie’s dress, while my suit remains off-white, my connection to Sadie, along with everything else, gone.
He tosses chairs and tables trying to find me, the crumpled silver moon in his right fist. That paper decoration can’t hurt me, but he keeps swinging it back and forth, eyes bulging. It’s strange to see yourself, really see yourself. His high pitched version of my voice shouts, “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want, but Sadie is with me. Me. I’m the only Steve Young.”
I never thought that I would start a revolution by asking Sadie Solomon to the middle school prom. Then again, I never thought that I would be hiding from a pissed off me who was trying to kill me with a papier-mâché moon.
I am afraid of heights, so hiding up here is the safest place not to find me, unless he has that same idea. His suit changes from yellow to green. Pausing, he stares up at my hiding place. I lock eyes with my crazed self, hair standing straight up from our fight and too much hair gel.
I should be the one taking Sadie to Paris and getting my first kiss. Everything about this is wrong. Identical copies of people don’t exist, and they certainly don’t try to beat you up.
Something happened. Something changed everything. It had to be my former best friend, Mikey Rey. He did something. He did this to me. Did Mikey ask my permission before turning my life upside down? No. I’m not sure what he did or why. I don’t even know when Mikey decided to ruin my life, but I’m not going to let him. I jump from the bookcase; I can’t hide anymore.

About the author:
Mark H. Jamieson, an attorney and mediator, who lives in Orlando, Florida. He is the author of Small Steps, a science fiction novel set in the near future when the Earth is on the verge of colonizing the solar system. He is also the author of the children’s picture book, Ico Island.