Shortly after going on a recovery road trip with Michael Realm, James Murphy returns home to bring his girlfriend Sloane a file. Her entire life--the memories that had been erased by The Program--are contained in a manilla folder. James wishes he could save Sloane from her pain, but he can't save her from the past.

A short story set in the world of The Program series by Suzanne Young, The Reaction leads into the last novel in the series, THE COMPLICATION.