S. J. Kincaid - Insignia

S. J. KINCAID

To my father and mother,

for encouraging my dreams and

giving me the strength to pursue them

THE INDO-AMERICAN ALLIANCE:

European-Australian BlockOceanic NationsNorth American AllianceCentral America

MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS

(and sponsored Combantants):

Dominion Agra

S PONSORED C OMBATANTS : Karl Vanquisher Marsters

Nobridis, Inc.

S PONSORED C OMBATANTS : Elliot Ares Ramirez, Cadence Stinger Grey, Britt Ox Schmeiser

Wyndham Harks

S PONSORED C OMBATANTS : Heather Enigma Akron, Yosef Vector Saide, Snowden NewGuy Gainey

Matchett-Reddy

S PONSORED C OMBATANTS : Lea Firestorm Styron, Mason Specter Meekins

Epicenter Manufacturing

S PONSORED C OMBATANTS : Emefa Polaris Austerley, Alec Condor Tarsus, Ralph Matador Bates

Obsidian Corp.

S PONSORED C OMBATANTS : None

THE RUSSO-CHINESE ALLIANCE:

South American FederationNordic BlockAffiliated African Nations

MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS

(sponsored members unknown):

Harbinger

Lexicon Mobile

LM Lymer Fleet

Kronus Portable

Stronghold Energy

Preeminent Communications

N EW TOWN, NEW casinosame old plan. Arizonas Dusty Squanto Casino made it easy for Tom Raines, since he didnt even have to pay his way into their virtual reality parlor. He slipped into the room, settled onto a couch in the back corner, and looked over the crowd of gamers, taking them in one at a time. His gaze settled on the two men in the opposite corner, and locked onto target.

Them, Tom thought.

The men stood with VR visors on, wired gloves clenched in the air. Their racing simulation blazed across an overhead screen for anyone who wanted to bet on the outcome. No one would bet on this race, though. One man was a good driverhe navigated the virtual track with the skill of an experienced gamerand the other was pitifully bad. His cars fender dragged across the wall of the arena, and the fake onlookers were screaming and dodging out of the way.

The winning racer gave a triumphant laugh as his car plowed across the finish line. He turned to the other man, chest puffed with victory, and demanded payment.

Tom smiled from his solitary spot on the couch.

Enjoy it while you can, buddy.

He timed it just right, waiting until the winner started counting up his bills to rise to his feet and wander into his line of sight. Tom noisily rattled one of the VR sets out of its storage container, then made a show of putting on the gloves the wrong way, before painstakingly adjusting them so the cloth and mesh wiring clasped his arms up to his elbows. Out of the corner of his eye, he became aware of the winning racer watching him.

You like playing games, kid? the man said to him. Wanna have a go next?

Tom gave him the wide-eyed, innocent look that he knew made him appear a lot younger than he was. Even though he was fourteen, he was short and skinny and had such bad acne that people usually couldnt guess his real age.

Im just looking. My dad says Im not allowed to gamble.

The man licked his lips. Oh, dont you worry. Your dad doesnt even have to know. Put down a few bucks, and well have us a great race. Maybe youll win. How much money do you have?

Only fifty bucks.

Tom knew better than to say more than that. More than that, and people wanted to see it before taking up the bet. He actually had about two dollars in his pocket.

Fifty bucks? the man said. Thats enough. This is just car racing. You can race a car, cant you? He twisted an invisible wheel. Nothing to it. And think: you beat me, and youll double that fifty.

Really?

Really, kid. Lets have a go. A condescending chuckle. Ill pay up for sure if you win.

But if I lose Tom let that hang there. Thats all my money. I just I cant. He started walking away, waiting for the magic words.

All right, kid, the guy called. Double or nothing.

Ha! Tom thought.

I win, the man said, and Ill get fifty. You win, you get a hundred. You cant beat that. Take a chance.

Tom turned slowly, fighting the laughter rising in his throat. This guy must already taste his easy fifty bucks since hed fallen for the act so readily. Most casinos had one or two gamers who practically lived in the VR parlors, fancying themselves gods among men who could beat any chump luckless enough to enter their territory. Tom loved the way they looked at him: as some scrawny, stupid little kid they could easily con. He loved even more seeing their smiles disappear when he wiped the floor with them.

Just to be safe, Tom kept up the act. He made a show of fumbling as he strapped on the VR visor. Okay, youre on, I guess.

Triumph rang in the mans voice. Were on.

They were off. Their cars roared to life and tore furiously down the track. Tom mentally ticked off the laps, taking it all very deliberately. He made a few token mistakes here and there. They were never enough to slow him down much, just enough to ensure he was lagging behind the other car. The man, puffed up with confidence and certain of winning, whirled his steering wheel with great, lashing sweeps of his wired gloves. As the finish line appeared and the mans car turned at the right angle, Tom finally let a grin blaze across his lips.

One flick of his glove did the trick. He rammed his car forward and clipped the guys back fender, then floored his gas. The man bellowed in rage and disbelief when his car swerved off the road in a rain of sparks.

Toms car sailed past the finish line while the other car crashed and exploded in the arenas side ditch.

Whatwhat the man sputtered.

Tom flipped up his visor. Whoops. I think I have played that game before. He tugged off his gloves. Wanna fork over my hundred bucks?

He watched, fascinated, the way a vein began popping out and fluttering in the mans forehead. You littleYou cantYoure

Youre not gonna pay me, then? Tom cast an idle glance toward the mans recent victim, now sitting on a nearby couch. The bad driver was suddenly interested in their exchange. Tom raised his voice to make sure the man could make out every word. I guess no ones playing games for money in here. Is that it?

The gamer followed Toms gaze to his victim, catching the implication: if he wouldnt pay Tom, then the other guy shouldnt have paid him.

The man spluttered a bit like the engine of his wrecked car, then jerked a hundred bucks out of a wad from his pocket. He crammed the bills into Toms hand, muttering something about a rematch.

Tom flipped through the bills, completely enjoying the mans outrage. You want a rematch, Im game. Double or nothing, again? I could really use another two hundred dollars.

The man turned a curious shade of scarlet, cut his losses, and fled the room. As for the newbie on the couch, he gave Tom a grateful thumbs-up. Tom returned it, then stashed the bills in his pocket. One hundred dollars. Usually he had to pull off the bet with a few more gamers to make enough for a nights stayVR sims involved such low stakes, after allbut at a dive like the Dusty Squanto Casino, a hundred would be enough for a room.

Toms mind already whirled with the promises of the night ahead. A bed. Television. Air-conditioning. A real shower. He could even come back here and play games just for fun.

The ghastly realization hit just as he reached the door: he was at a casino with a VR parlor.

He had absolutely no excuse for missing school this afternoon.