Corgan, Sharla and Brig are only children, but all three are warriors. Corgan and Sharla, both 14, were bred to be superior-- genetically engineered. Corgan has outstanding speed, precision and agility, while Sharla can break codes with astounding speed. Brig is a Mutant, an example of genetic engineering gone wrong. His sharp, tactical strategist's mind cannot be matched, but his body is severely deformed. At a time in the future when biological hazards have contaminated the earth and humans live in domed cities across the hemispheres, uncontaminated land is the most valuable thing there is, and Corgan, Sharla and Brig have been chosen to represent the Western Hemisphere Federation in the upcoming Virtual War over a small Pacific island. For Corgan, the war is what he has been training for his entire life; he has prepared for it without question. Corgan has lived in isolation his entire life, "nurtured"by Mendor, a virtual mother/father figure who has informed his understanding of himself and the world in which he lives. It isn't until Corgan commits his first real act of defiance and rendezvous with Sharla--the real Sharla, not the filtered, virtual image of her he has known--that he begins to seek answers to questions he never before thought to ask, including the most important question of all: who am I, and what do I believe in? (Ages 12-14)

Imagine a life of virtual reality -- a childhood contained in a controlled environment, with no human contact or experiences outside of the world of computer-generated images.

Corgan has been genetically engineered by the Federation for quick reflexes, high intelligence, and physical superiority. Everything Corgan is, everything he has ever seen or done, was to prepare him for one moment: a bloodless, computer-controlled virtual war.

When Corgan meets his two fellow warriors, he begins to question the Federation. Now Corgan must decide where his loyalties lie, what he's willing to fight for, and exactly what he wants in return. His decisions will affect not only these three virtual warriors, but all the people left on earth.