Jumping to a New Level

When Angie asks about Turner's brother Rudy, Turner tells Angie that Rudy is stuck. Sometimes, Turner says, it's necessary for a person to take a jump to the next level, something that Turner did when he left his home behind. Without moving forward, people like Rudy stagnate and become unhappy. During the novel, both people and society make jumps to new levels, evolving in spurts forward.

Turner himself evolves to a new personal level, leaving behind the life of a squirrel who always returns again and again to danger. Bobby evolves to a new level, acquiring the ability to channel voodoo gods to give him power in cyberspace. He becomes something more than just a human being. He also jumps in status, moving out of Barrytown and into a higher social sphere. Angie, too, evolves, growing into the ability to utilize the implant in...