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sending her off to get strip searched.
    "You're not listening," Gabby said. "They are my files. I get to decide if I'm worried about it. Letting me know the Frags are messing with them is all they should be doing."
    "Honey," her mother said. "I don't think you understand the level of danger there is with these Frags 'messing with your files.'"
    Her parents shared a concerned look. Her mother leaned over and whispered into her father's ear. He thought for a moment and then nodded. Gabby didn't like their quiet conspiring.
    "Back a few decades," her father began. "A group sympathetic to the Southlands started infiltrating a large group of children's files."
    Her mother grabbed her father's hand and squeezed it. Something about their sudden change in mannerisms creeped Gabby out.
    "Through subtle changes in their surroundings they were able to brainwash a large group of kids into joining a Southlands rally. The infiltrators also modified LifeScores to interfere with our competitive edge," he said.
    Gabby shook her head. It was like a madness debuff had been cast on her parents. She barely knew what they were talking about, even worse than normal.
    "Kids can't be brainwashed just because they see some crap on their eye-screens. Otherwise, wouldn't all that advertising they're constantly assaulting us with, work?" said Gabby.
    Her father stood up and pointed at her. "This is not a joking matter, Gabriella. This infiltration was a serious assault to the freedoms we hold dear in the GSA. If these Frags have any nefarious intentions, the protectors of the GSA need to know."
    "The LGIE probably made up all that brainwashing crap back then to convince you all to give them power," spat Gabby. She couldn't believe her parents weren't going to back her.
    "Have you been wasting your time studying history again, Gabby? You should be focusing on your LifeScore and your games. Not worthless history lessons," said her mother. "If that's what you're learning at the Library Museum, we might have to ask you not to go there anymore."
    None of this was making any sense to Gabby. She half-thought that maybe the Frags had infiltrated her files and were making it seem like everyone around her had gone crazy.
    If she let the LGIE into her files, they might see that she'd been hacking school files and ban her from University. If she didn't let them in, then she would probably get banned, too. She'd been grinding at her LifeScore since before she could remember, burning through the ranks, trying to stay at the top so she could keep progressing and making sure Zaela was there, as well. Now all that work would be for nothing.
    She was so angry that her hands had stopped shaking. She looked up to see both her parents standing, staring at her with their arms crossed.
    Gabby made her choice. It was the one that would give her a little room to maneuver. She couldn't let them in.
    "Mom. Dad." She looked at each of them in turn, trying to calm her voice so it wouldn't break and sound immature.
    "I think those files are my choice. It's my life. But I also know that you are my legal guardians and can give those files up whether I want you to or not."
    Gabby paused, taking a deep breath. "I'm—" She almost said begging, but realized she needed to show more strength. "—informing you that I do not wish my files to be exposed to the LGIE and if you give them permission, I will sabotage my LifeScore so I lose rank and not make University."
    Her parent's eyes widened, until she thought they might fall out. Their jaws followed closely behind. She'd totally mezzed them, and they'd dropped agro on her, probably wondering if she'd gone crazy or not.
    Gabby assumed behind their quiet stares, her parents were busy mind-texting, determining the next course of action.
    Her hands took to shaking again while she waited. She had no intention of giving up all her hard work, but she hoped it was enough of a bluff to keep her parents from acting on her behalf.
    When the mez wore