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  Kilgore’s just thinking of standing still for a moment to get his breath when Will stops walking and glances back over his shoulder. “Should be safe here. Turn your shield off.”

  Kilgore looks into the middle distance and lets the idea of AIPR0N slide into the back of his mind. It’s easier this time, and to his surprise, the shield is already powering down. “Jeez,” he mutters. “It’s like it’s reading my mind.”

  “Funny you should say that,” Will says. “When it’s working right, that’s exactly what AIPR0N does.”

  “Yeah. I get it now.” And it’s true. He’s in tune with the mod now. He can feel it, almost like it’s a part of his mind.

  Will points toward a stack of wooden crates at one side of the road. “Let’s go over there and take a seat—rest a while.”

  Kilgore’s sorely tempted, but he shakes his head. “Aren’t we kind of in a hurry here?”

  “You know, there’s a reason we don’t keep the shields on all the time. Check your status.”

  Kilgore frowns. Like most gamers, he keeps an eye on his readouts most of the time, and they were all fine last time he looked. But now, he does a double take. “Holy shit!” His energy levels have tanked. Why? His energy should be fine. After all, nothing has affected him since he activated the shield. The shield! That’s what Will is trying to tell him. “Are you saying the shield did this to me?” He pauses, looks up to the sky. “I’m exhausted, man. Why didn’t you tell me this would happen? Why didn’t you warn me?”

  Will gives him a look, and the older man’s expression is cold as stone. “I’m telling you now, aren’t I? The shield is a lifesaver, but it comes at a price. The more damage it has to deflect, the more energy it takes. The longer you use it, the bigger the hit to your stats. And you know, you had it easy. The energy boost I gave you was still in your system. Without that, you’d never have made it through the barricade.”

  Kilgore stares at Will. What else are you keeping to yourself? he wonders. But he doesn’t ask out loud, doesn’t want to waste his breath. The shield has drained him physically, left him feeling like he’s just run a marathon. But perhaps there’s something he can do about that. He looks down for a moment, clears his throat. “Listen, Will, you’ve got to give me another energy boost, man. Hell, you need one too, don’t you?”

  Will shakes his head. “I don’t have many left, and the mission isn’t over yet. Like I said, I’m saving them for later.” He pauses and takes a deep breath, flaring his nostrils. “Come on, Sarge. We’ll take a rest. Our energy levels will recover by themselves soon enough.” Then, without waiting for a response, he sets off toward the crates.

  Kilgore kicks at a stray piece of debris and sends it skittering across the road, stirring up the dust. What choice does he have? His energy is so low it would be suicide for him to go on. Hell, right now you could probably finish him off with a fly swatter. “Jesus, man,” he grumbles. But he follows Will and slumps down on a crate next to him.

  “You know something funny?” Will asks. “In real life, you never see wooden crates just lying around in the street, but in the game, they’re all over the place.”

  “Yeah.” Kilgore stares at the ground. He’s in no mood for small talk, but Will doesn’t seem to have noticed.

  “So, this HUD of yours—that’s pretty smart. And you built it yourself. That must’ve taken one hell of a lot of work.”

  “Yeah,” Kilgore admits, grudgingly. “I guess. It’s worth it though. It helps a lot, especially when you’ve got to solve a problem to move on.”

  “You like all that stuff—solving problems?”

  “Sure. That’s what I’m here for mainly.” He flashes Will a grin. “Well, that and the mindless violence.”

  They share a laugh.

  “How about you?” Kilgore asks. “You must’ve put in some serious game time to get that body armor, and all the rest of your gear.”

  “Yeah, it doesn’t come cheap,” Will says. “But there’s more to it than game time. I’m not afraid to leverage what I know. I make the most of what I’ve got. Like you with your HUD.”

  Kilgore nods. “OK. But even so—this AIPR0N? I’ve never even heard of it. Where’d you get it?

  Will’s smile suddenly fades. He looks away for a moment, making his mind up.

  “What—” Kilgore starts to say, but Will doesn’t let him finish.

  Will grabs Kilgore’s upper arm, holds it tight. He looks the younger man in the eye. “What would you say if I told you there was somewhere where you could get all the upgrades you wanted?”

  Kilgore takes a breath. His mind races, but he doesn’t say a word.

  Will nods. “You want it,” he says. “I can see it in your eyes.”

  But Kilgore shakes his arm free from Will’s grasp. “I don’t know,” he says. “Will it get me kicked out of the game? Is it legal? Because let me tell you, I don’t need any extra trouble right now.”

  Will leans back and holds out his arms. “Look at me. Do I look like I’ve been kicked out?”

  “No. No, you don’t,” Kilgore says. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t be. And if you go down, I don’t want to be dragged down with you.”

  Will takes a breath. “OK,” he says. “I’ll level with you. Then you can decide. OK?”

  “Sure. I’m listening.”

  Will nods. “You were right earlier. There’s a reason for this barricade. There’s a reason this part of the game is so well defended.”

  “That’s obvious. It’s to stop people getting to the next level.”

  Will grimaces. “Get real, kid. You’re thinking like some sorry ass game-head. I thought you were smarter than that.”

  Kilgore feels a rush of blood to his face. “OK then. Tell me what’s so goddamn special about this street that makes it any different from every other.”

  Will shakes his head, and when he speaks, his voice is low with barely restrained anger. “Listen to yourself, for Christ’s sake. You sound like a spoiled brat. That is not how this is going to go. You don’t have any cards left to play, kid. You can go nowhere from here without me. So if you want to play with the grown-ups, you’d better button your lip and listen. Understand?”

  Kilgore curls the fingers of his right hand into a fist. He’s willing to bet that he’s recovering his energy faster than Will. This could be the perfect time to punch the bastard in the mouth. Twice. But there’s a nagging thought in the back of Kilgore’s mind: What if he’s telling the truth? Could there really be a place where upgrades were there for the taking? Why not? Will is clearly very wealthy, and there’s plenty of unauthorized information swilling around online for those who are willing to pay for it: shortcuts, passwords, cheat codes. It’s all out there—if you can afford it.

  Kilgore swallows his anger. He’ll hear Will out, but there’s no way he’ll put up with any more bullshit. He’s through with being lectured and sick to death of being treated like he’s just some dumb kid. Kilgore holds out his right hand, his fingers spread wide. “OK, man. I’ll listen. But you’d better cut to the chase, OK?”

  Will purses his lips and stares at Kilgore, thinking. His eyes flick to the side, and he looks over Kilgore’s shoulder as if he’s already dismissing him from his mind.

  “Seriously, Will,” Kilgore says. “I’m ready to listen. And I don’t know about you, but my energy levels are coming up fast. I’m almost ready to move out. If you don’t want to tell me your plan, I can always try my luck on my own. It’s your call.”

  Will frowns. “I’m tempted just to cut you loose. You won’t last five minutes.”

  “I’ll be all right. You’ve got to give me some credit.”

  “Oh, I am,” Will says. “I’d give most people two minutes, tops.”

  Kilgore stands up and adjusts his rifle, checks his gear. “OK. I said I’d help you through the barricade, and that’s exactly what I’ve done. We’re all square.”

  “OK, you’ve made your point. Sit down.”

  Kilgor
e shakes his head. “Like I said, I prefer to play solo. I’ll take my chances.”

  Will grunts in annoyance and pushes himself up to his feet. “You also said you’d hear me out. Now, will you do me that courtesy, Hank?”

  Kilgore looks away. There’s a quiet authority in the older man’s voice, and for a second, it reminds him of his dad: the way he used to be, back when Mom was still with them and everything was right. He takes a breath and blinks a few times, but he doesn’t walk away.

  “All right,” Will says. He stands next to Kilgore and reaches out, pointing toward the horizon and moving his hand from left to right. “You see that rocky ridge that runs right along?”

  “Sure. City limits. The edge of the game map. Everyone knows that.”

  “That’s what people think.” Will flashes Kilgore a smug little smile. “Those coordinates you found online—checked them out recently?”

  Kilgore gives him a withering look. “I’ve been kind of busy. But hey, whatever.” He calls up his mission map. Well, that’s weird. When he orients himself with the map, the coordinates indicate a point out on the ridge. “This is bullshit, man. There’s nothing there.” He looks at Will. “I guess I should’ve known. Don’t tell me—there is no secret military base.”

  “Oh, there’s a base all right. But that’s not what the coordinates are for. Not directly.”

  Kilgore sighs. “For Christ’s sake, Will. Spit it out.”

  Will frowns. “OK, kid. I’ll tell you. The coordinates are for the only place on that ridge where you can cross over to the other side.”

  “I don’t get it. If the ridge is on the edge of the map, there is no other side. What’s the point?”

  Will shakes his head. “The ridge is the edge of the game, kid, it is not the edge of the map—not by a long way. The question is, how bad do you want to see what’s out there?”

  CHAPTER 12

  One Simple Answer

  WARNING: APPROACHING CITY LIMITS

  NO ACCESS BEYOND THIS POINT

  Kilgore casts a sideways look at Will. He’s waiting for me to ask, Kilgore thinks. Waiting for me to make myself look dumb again. Kilgore squints up at the crest of the ridge. If there are any physical defenses, he can’t see them, and his HUD isn’t showing any hidden objects. To hell with you, Will, he thinks. I’ll figure this out myself. The answer must be something to do with AIPR0N, but what commands should he be looking for? The mod doesn’t give any clues, so he’ll just have to wing it. But just as he lets AIPR0N’s interface crystalize in his mind, a new warning scrolls across his HUD:

  NO ACCESS: ATTEMPTED VIOLATION WILL RESULT IN INSTANT TERMINATION

  Jesus Christ! They’re almost at the top of the rocky ridge, but although Will must’ve seen the same warning, he hasn’t slowed his pace. What the hell is he thinking? Is Will so arrogant he really believes he can just march on through? I should never have listened to him, Kilgore thinks. The man is a liability: a danger to himself. Kilgore’s finger twitches against his rifle’s trigger guard. The game is going to try and stop them, but how? Will it send a drone? A patrol? He looks along the ridge ahead and checks his threat detector. It’s all clear, but this is the perfect place for an ambush. There could be any number of unknown hazards hidden just over the brow of the ridge. But maybe the game will be more direct, forcing them to log off, throwing them back into their chairs. If that happens, will the system even give them time to desync properly? Kilgore grimaces. He’d rather be shot in the head than run the risk of brain damage.

  He looks at Will. It’s no good. He’s got to ask for his help. But as Kilgore opens his mouth to speak, he suddenly has the first glimmer of an idea. It’s almost as if someone is whispering in his ear, though the voice is too faint for him to pick out the words. Is it AIPR0N telling him what to do?

  Kilgore stops walking and looks down at the ground. Will says something, but Kilgore takes no notice, tunes him out. He focuses on the elusive idea, lets it come to him.

  Access, he thinks. Access control. Yes! AIPR0N, select access control. Activate.

  A bold red warning splashes across the center of his HUD:

  ACCESS DENIED: GAME TERMINATION IN 3 SECONDS

  The countdown begins, but Kilgore stays calm. He’s got this. He needs just one more thought. Deploy access control, set privileged user.

  The countdown to termination flips from two to one. Kilgore holds his breath and glares at the number, defying it to change. Suddenly, there’s a new message in his HUD, and his heart lurches in his chest.

  AGRIPPINE EXPERIENCE: PRIVILEGED USER ACCESS GRANTED

  “Yes!” Kilgore says. “I did it. I beat the goddamned company.” He looks at Will. “Did you see that? I just did it. It just came to me. It was like—it was incredible.”

  Will raises his eyebrows. “I thought I was going to have to step in there, kid, but you’re a quick study, aren’t you?”

  “You bet,” Kilgore says, and he chuckles to himself. “Man, I sure could get used to this.”

  “Yeah, well don’t let it go to your head.” Will looks toward the top of the ridge for a moment then back at Kilgore. “I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you what’s next.”

  “Man, I just beat Agrippine Experience in their own goddamned game. Whatever it is, bring it on.”

  Will hesitates, licks his lips. “A minefield. Huge. Bigger than anything you’ve ever seen.”

  “Aw, come on,” Kilgore scoffs. “I’ve seen plenty of mines. How bad can it be?”

  Will turns to face the younger man, looks him in the eye. “More than you know.” He pauses. “It’s not so much a minefield as a whole networked system of anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines, proximity detectors, tripwires, you name it. It’s enough to stop an army—and then some.”

  Kilgore runs his hand across his mouth. This is some serious shit: maybe an even bigger challenge than the barricade. “Why don’t you use your shield?”

  “That would work for one mine—maybe two—but they’re networked, remember? You step on one mine, and a whole bunch go off.” Will shakes his head. “Nothing could save you from that.”

  Kilgore nods thoughtfully. “Sounds risky. Must be something pretty good on the other side.” He pauses. Why is Will doing all this? What does he really want? Kilgore has the urge to slap himself in the face. He should’ve called Will out on this before the barricade, made him explain. But somehow, he’s let himself be swept along, following at Will’s heel like a stray dog. That stops here. He fixes Will with a look. “What the hell is all this about, Will? You’re not here just to see some military base.”

  “I’m here,” Will says, leaning in toward Kilgore and lowering his voice to little more than a murmur, “because beyond that minefield there are as many credits and upgrades as you could ever want. And all of it, just waiting to be picked up.”

  Kilgore can’t help but think about it, picturing himself in Titan 3 body armor, a brand-new assault rifle in his hands, a backpack full of percussion mines and medikits. But his bullshit meter is going into overdrive. “You’re spinning me a line, man. No one leaves that kind of stuff lying around. No way. It’s just not real.”

  “Oh, I didn’t say we won’t have to fight for it—it’s a GDL base. But they’re not expecting anyone to come through the minefield. We’ll have surprise on our side. And once we get there, AIPR0N can get us in.”

  “I still don’t buy it,” Kilgore says. “There must be more to it. The question is, what aren’t you telling me this time?”

  “No. That isn’t the question at all,” Will says. “There’s only one question that matters right now—could your HUD find a way through the minefield?”

  Kilgore narrows his eyes and stares at Will. “So what if it could? Like I said, there’s got to be more to it. You don’t just walk into a GDL base.”

  “We’ll come to that in a minute. All I need is one simple answer. Could your HUD get someone through the minefield—yes or no?”

  Kilgore doesn
’t have to think for long. Mines are classic hidden objects, and he’s seen enough of them to know the distinctive patterns they make in his HUD. “Yeah, I’m pretty confident.”

  Will blows out his cheeks. “That’s not good enough. One mistake out there, and it’s all over. So can the HUD pick out every single mine, every tripwire, without fail?”

  “Of course it can,” Kilgore says, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice. “The prox detectors won’t be easy; it depends on their range, but it can be done. I’m certain of it.”

  “Good. That’s all I needed to know.” Will nods thoughtfully. “So, how much do you want for it? I’ll give you a fair price.”

  “What?” Kilgore’s face is a comic book picture of horrified surprise.

  “You heard me. Name your price.”

  “No way,” Kilgore says. “I’d never sell it. Do you know how long it took me to code this thing?”

  “A million credits—I’d say that was pretty fair. After all, you coded it once, you could do it again.”

  Kilgore gives a hollow laugh. “It’s not that simple. I had to integrate it slowly into the game so the system wouldn’t notice. I smuggled it in, one mod at a time. It took months. And then I had to learn to use it.”

  “OK, two million.”

  “You’re not listening to me. Even if you gave me ten million, you’d still have to transfer it one mod at a time, and it took me at least three months of testing to fine-tune it and learn the patterns.”

  Will takes a step closer to Kilgore, and when he speaks, his voice is a low growl. “Oh, I’m listening all right. But what you don’t understand is how much is at stake here. Three months is nothing. I’m a patient man, and I’ll do whatever it takes. But you’ve got to sell me that HUD; it’s the only way to get through the minefield.”

  “No. You’re wrong,” Kilgore says. “There’s a much simpler way. I’ll go through for you. And whatever I find, we split it fifty-fifty.”