The Bar Code Tattoo

Suzanne Weyn

The Bar Code Tattoo

Suzanne Weyn
47 pages1-hour read
Fiction
Novel
YA
Published in 2004

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Kayla is a 16-year-old student and talented artist living in a highly digitized society. While her peers eagerly embrace the convenience of mandatory genetic bar code tattoos, she actively resists the pressure to conform. Her skepticism deepens following a family tragedy, prompting her to seek out underground resistance groups and question the true motives of the ruling corporations.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Ashley Reed

Daughter of Joseph Reed

Best Friend of Amber Thorn

Friend of Mfumbe Taylor

Romantic Interest of Zekeal Morrelle

Zekeal is a confident new student at Winfrey High who quickly draws a circle of rebellious friends to his side. He loudly criticizes the government's mandatory body modifications, catching Kayla's attention with his passionate anti-establishment views. His shared understanding of how these new laws tear families apart makes him an immediate source of comfort for her.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of Kayla Marie Reed

Friend of Nedra Harris

Friend of Mfumbe Taylor

Mfumbe is a highly intelligent senior and talented cartoonist at Winfrey High. He channels his artistic abilities into KnotU2, an underground magazine dedicated to exposing the loss of civil liberties. Unlike most students who ignore emotional distress, Mfumbe consistently demonstrates genuine empathy and moral strength, choosing to act on principle rather than self-interest.

Key Relationships

Friend of Zekeal Morrelle

Friend of Allyson Minor

Friend of Nedra Harris

Loudon Waters is the unseen president of the country and the founder of the global corporate superpower, Global-1. He prioritizes accumulating extreme wealth and maintaining total control over the world's resources. His administration enforces the new tracking laws, openly crushing civil liberties to consolidate power.

Key Relationships

Oppressor of Kayla Marie Reed

Supporting Characters

Amber is Kayla's long-time best friend, an enthusiastic teenager who eagerly embraces the convenience culture of their futuristic society. She genuinely believes the mandatory government identifiers will make life easier and actively tries to persuade Kayla to comply with the new laws, creating a sharp ideological divide between the two friends.

Key Relationships

Best Friend of Kayla Marie Reed

Classmate of Zekeal Morrelle

Nedra is a forceful, ambitious student who treats her angry attitude as a personal style choice. As a key member of the KnotU2 friend group, she actively opposes the government's digital tracking measures. She naturally gravitates toward individuals with power and influence, making her a commanding presence within her social circle.

Key Relationships

Friend of Zekeal Morrelle

Friend of Mfumbe Taylor

Allyson is a science-focused student who frequently spends her free time in the school laboratories. Her fascination with genetics often puts her at odds with her anti-government activism. She uses her father's expensive virtual reality equipment to help her friends contact other resistance cells across the country.

Key Relationships

Friend of Mfumbe Taylor

Friend of August Sanchez

August is a quiet, observant member of the school's Techno Club. While he rarely speaks during meetings, his strong understanding of digital equipment makes him an asset to the local resistance movement. He eventually extends an invitation to Kayla to write for their underground publication.

Key Relationships

Friend of Allyson Minor

Acquaintance of Kayla Marie Reed

Ashley is Kayla's mother, a woman emotionally shattered by a sudden family tragedy. She self-medicates with stolen tranquilizers to cope with her grief and growing paranoia. She correctly suspects that her husband's former employer is hiding dangerous secrets within the mandatory genetic identifiers.

Key Relationships

Wife of Joseph Reed

Joseph is Kayla's father, a former FBI employee who recently lost his job after receiving the mandatory digital identifier. His sudden descent into severe depression and tragic death serve as the catalyst for his daughter's deep distrust of the government. Prior to his death, he attempted to investigate restricted digital files.

Key Relationships

Husband of Ashley Reed

Mr. Kerr is the high school guidance counselor who fully supports the government's technological mandates. He represents the apathetic, conformity-driven nature of mainstream society, utilizing manufactured sympathy while dismissing students who lack digital programming skills.

Key Relationships

Counselor of Kayla Marie Reed

Gene is a post office employee forced by his corporate employer to administer the mandatory identification marks. He deeply resents his job, noticing a disturbing pattern of sudden misfortune among the people he processes. He plans to steal computer passwords to uncover the truth hidden in the restricted servers.

Key Relationships

Neighbor of Kayla Marie Reed

Senator David Young is a prominent political figure and the founder of the Decode organization. He actively protests against the required body modifications, arguing that they severely infringe upon personal privacy and civil liberties. He resigns his position to demonstrate his opposition to the new laws.

Key Relationships

Political Leader of Mfumbe Taylor

Eutonah is a Cherokee shaman and rebel leader living off the grid in the Adirondack Mountains. She guides runaway citizens who seek refuge from the oppressive corporate state. She encourages her followers to reject modern conveniences and reconnect with nature to unlock their full human potential.

Key Relationships

Spiritual Guide of Kayla Marie Reed

Katie is a former insurance employee in her thirties who discovers the disturbing truth about the data encoded in the new government identifiers. Recognizing the danger to her own health profile, she chooses to abandon her life rather than submit to the system. She offers vital assistance to a young runaway crossing her path.

Key Relationships

Temporary Ally of Kayla Marie Reed

Toz is an elderly man attempting to flee to Canada to escape the oppressive corporate government. He has taken the painful step of destroying his own government identifier to protect his freedom. Despite the intense danger of his own journey, he readily agrees to transport a teenage fugitive toward the mountains.

Key Relationships

Husband of Mava

Protector of Kayla Marie Reed

Mava is Toz's elderly wife, a compassionate woman who shares her husband's determination to escape the corporate state. She displays a red, twisted scar where she destroyed her own government identifier. She offers motherly comfort and practical help, cutting a young runaway's hair to help her evade the authorities.

Key Relationships

Wife of Toz

Caretaker of Kayla Marie Reed