- Marcus blogs about the press conference so that lots of Xnetters will be there too. He doesn't want to be taken as a solo leader. Then he emails the press with the details. Start time is 8 p.m.
- Marcus tells his mom that if he can go to the movies with Ange tonight, he'll bring her home for dinner tomorrow.
- Ange and Marcus set up both their Xboxes in her room to get ready for the press conference.
- Then off comes the shirts. Things start getting hot and heavy. Both Ange and Marcus are naked.
- But wait: the press conference starts in two minutes.
- Marcus can't believe it, but instead of getting laid for the first time, he and Ange put their clothes back on and head to Patcheye Pete's.
- Patcheye Pete's is the name of the trading post where everyone is meeting for the press conference. It's easy to tell the reporters apart from the Xnetters because of how the characters are moving and acting.
- The press conference starts, Marcus drops the same quote from the Declaration of Independence and says that the DHS doesn't govern with his consent.
- There are lots of questions from journalists. M1k3y doesn't answer them all, but there are plenty of other Xnetters chiming in.
- The press conference goes until 11 p.m. Ange tells Marcus she loves him. He says it back.
- They kiss. Her mom knocks on the door. Marcus says goodnight and heads home. He feels great about the press conference.
- Now it's time for some news headlines the next morning. Lots of the press seems to think these kids are terrorist dupes. The DHS responds with its own press conference and announces it's doubling security in San Francisco.
- By the end of the week Marcus is getting frisked about four times a day. Xnetters are getting arrested. Marcus's dad is pleased that the kids getting caught will lead to more arrests.
- The name M1k3y keeps coming up.
- Marcus is spending more and more time at Ange's house. Her sister calls him "the houseguest" as a result.
- Marcus and Ange get into a fight about if Marcus is a leader or not, what people who are jamming should be doing instead. Ange thinks that instead of Marcus feeling a responsibility to others to keep them safe, he's scared for himself.
- Marcus storms off. He writes a blog post entitled "Why I'm not jamming" and puts it up on Xnet (15.124). He misses Ange.
- Ange and Marcus don't speak for four days. No calls, no emails, no IMs.
- Now Marcus is back in social studies with Mrs. Andersen. They're talking about Manifest Destiny today. Ugh.
- After school Marcus literally runs into a young homeless guy. They both lie on the sidewalk and look at each other. The guy sticks out his hand, says his name is Zeb, and then goes away.
- Marcus goes home and is full of malaise. He wants to work on one of the million projects he had going on before Xnet.
- Emptying his pockets he finds a mysterious note. It's signed ZEB.
- The note explains that Zeb was locked up with Darryl on Treasure Island. They were both in the infirmary.
- DHS questioned them a long, long time. Zeb and Darryl call the prison "Gitmo-by-the-Bay" (15.168).
- The name references the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (also called GTMO, pronounced gitmo) held by the U.S. in Cuba.
- Zeb got out last week and is going to leave now that he's fulfilled his promise to Darryl.
- Marcus starts crying.
- Mom comes in. She asks what's wrong.
- Cue the big reveal to Mom about everything that's really happened (okay, just most of it) since the bombs went off.