Visionary sci-fi with a heart In a vastly overpopulated future, the virtual world is critical to humanity's long-term survival. The Troika runs the planet. The Govt protects the people. The Gyre wants it all. Play the games. Earn the cryps. Save your dad. Arik is a virtual warrior who lives on the ragged edge-a solitary Tier 2 dark-gamer, longing to break through to T1. But like so many, he's barely surviving. When Arik receives a sketchy proposal-a covert military mission where death in the virt equals death in the real-he has to decide between his wretched struggling reality, and a deadly potential outcome that has more than just his father's future at stake. But Arik's rare skills cannot triumph alone, and what was once a straightforward task, has spiraled into something far more menacing. He cannot act alone. He needs a team to succeed. He played to save his father. He stayed to save the world.