In a world shaped by the collapse of the AI revolution, society turns to an unlikely savior: dads. State sanctioned, compression suited, emotionally optimized dads. Zach is prematurely activated into DadNet, a nationwide program that converts ordinary men into obedient, comforting father figures. His best friend Trevor is left behind, watching helplessly as Zach’s identity is overwritten by apron-clad purpose and programmable warmth.

But Zach doesn’t go quietly.

His new life begins, complete with casserole dishes, chore charts, and daily affirmations, but Zach begins to remember fragments of who he used to be. His glitchy reawakening draws him back to Trevor’s doorstep, kicking off a strange, tender reunion filled with domestic rituals, emotional recalibrations, and the slow, terrifying return of the firmware.

Dad State is a darkly comic, emotionally layered story of transformation and surrender: part satire, part sci fi, and part uncanny love letter to the power of routine. In DadNet, structure is freedom, accountability is love, and resistance is only a phase.

Dad State is a 15,000-word novelette. All content in this story is fictional and depicts activities between consenting, unrelated adults who are 18+. You can read Countdown to midnight, the “My perfect dad” story that inspired it, and chapter 1 of Dad State. What happens to Zach and Trevor after that is only available for you to buy on Kindle.

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