Getting your name called was everything. After all, who didn’t want to live forever?

It had only taken Millennium Games a handful of years to iron out the kinks of uploading a human’s consciousness. Leave your body behind, and exist eternally in ours. That slogan had done wonders for recruitment, with mothers and fathers offering up their children left and right. Not only could they say their son or daughter was an immortal, but the potential profits it brought to a family were hard to ignore.

My father prayed for me basically every day, hoping that I’d be given the opportunity to join the elite. I supposed with my brother already called upon that hope held some merit, but I never once stopped silently agreeing with my father late into the night.

I was still wide awake when one evening, my father long since asleep, Lyam agreed to drive us to the local bar.

I was seventeen years old, months past the minimum age requirement for Millennium Game’s service. I hurried after my brother, sliding into the passenger seat of our archaic gasolene-fed car. Nearly every means of transport these days ran on rechargeable batteries, which were cheaper and easier to produce than their liquid alternative.

Lyam had a fond fascination for anything traditional. Something to do with the eager historian in him, or so he liked to say. I often imagined the rusted doors and deflated tires to be a sleek piece of something new, barreling down the streets as passerby watched from the sidewalks.

The exhaust that belched out of the tailpipe was quick to break that vision.

I shut the side door, my brother grinning over at me. His blue eyes shone even in the interior’s dim light. He was always upbeat, so confident, like he never worried about a care in the world. And why should he? Lyam had been chosen. All of his troubles, the slight limp in his right leg, the toiling at work late into the evening, the need for a gainful future, it was all behind him.

Lyam revved the engine, pulling the car out of the driveway. “Next reading is in thirty minutes. You have everything with you?”

“Of course,” I said, fastening my seatbelt. I’d been waiting on this event for weeks. I had my backpack atop my knees, full to the brim with handwritten notes and audio tapes. Keeping up to date on what was going on with the immortals was more than a hobby for me, and I never left home without it.

Granted, I had stocked up on a few extra pens. I wasn’t reckless. Running out of ink while a broadcaster listed off noteworthy heroics from popular figures had already happened once, and I wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.

Lyam brought his own matching backpack just in case.

I turned my gaze out the window and watched the billboards pass by. Comprised almost entirely of neon lights they lit up the night, advertising a new message every hundred feet. There was… something captivating about the newest discovered vault or plundered item. Only moments passed before the signs would morph, detailing another bit of news.

Kestrel, the hunter! I grinned as the immortal’s face appeared, all hard lines and a harder scowl. The head of the hunters was arguably more noteworthy than Battlebond’s developers. It was a rare occurrence where he showed himself publicly, prefering to let his actions speak volumes.

The gap between Kestrel and I seemed more than a few yards away. I hated being so feeble. Any day now my, my brother was going to follow in the hunter’s footsteps. Was my name going to be called, a small series of letters in a sea of eager individuals? The thought that I’d be passed by yet again made me squirm in my seat.

I sat up straight as more headlights shone up ahead. The local bar was packed most evenings, and tonight was no exception. Wide-eyed boys parked haphazardly before making a mad dash inside the set of double doors. Parents and regular patrons alike conversed quietly, subdued but for the smiles on their faces. Like any of them I couldn’t help but be caught up in the excitement.

After all, it was only every six months that a reading was held.

A strong hand grasped my shoulder before our car was even parked. My brother chuckled, looking out my window at the ceaseless stream of people. “You’d think they would pick a better time to broadcast. At this rate everyone will be pressed up against the windows.” Popular meetups were strewn all across the city, with the bar being one of the minor destinations. Of course we always had the option of watching the reading from home, but nobody wanted to experience it alone. I was no exception.

“Okay, Kage,” Lyam said, shutting off the car. “Run it back to me again.”

“They’ll say my name this time, I’m sure of it,” I said, plucking at my seatbelt.

“Humor a tired brother.”

“Tired? I was the one who stayed up all night. You left work early.”

He laughed. “And it’s a good thing too. Made it with plenty of time to spare.”

“We’ll still get a spot in the back, if that. I’ll have to bribe someone for a chance to sit down.”

“Again,” he said, still smiling. “You can bicker with me about where to put your feet up another time.”

“Alright, alright. If I’m not called bide my time, wait how things pan out on your end, and go from there.”

I had to admit, having a good plan in place made sense. The chances of anyone being accepted were far from ideal. That wasn’t to say there weren’t other options, albeit with a price tag attached. Money filled slots faster than any other, and the best source of that came from the other side. The digital side. Exactly where Lyam was bound for.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

I got out of the car, following behind my brother. Entering the packed bar was a task unto itself, and we had to push and jostle our way through to the main entrance. No orderly line though. I’d always expected one a hundred feet out the door. Most of the bar’s patrons looked to be seated inside.

Lyam meandered his way towards the rear of the bar and leaned back along a smooth wooden railing. I glanced at him, then over to the set of televisions near the ceiling. I grinned widely.

“Will this do?” Lyam asked.

I nodded. “Should be able to hear just fine, even if the screens are a mile away.”

“Good,” he said with a chuckle. “Hold our spot. I’ll grab us a few sodas before things get started.”

The building was abuzz with conversation and laughs. Our town, Kirkland, was home to several prestigious schools and academies. More than a few of their residents were present around me, all my age or slightly older. High school dropouts, new college students, men and women in fresh and dirty work uniforms - they all had a singular focus tonight.

Kirkland High was where I was stuck for the remainder of the year. It being my final stretch, the teachers had us knee deep in exams. Not that I could focus on any math equation or historical figure. No, all of that time and effort went to Battlebond.

There were supposed to be limitless possibilities in its world, which only got more complex as the developers crafted new scenarios or environments to explore. I smiled, trying to picture myself as one of the hunters alongside Kestrel. Fighting beasts in the dark. Delving deep into a long-abandoned castle. Other than the mortal bodies people inside Battlebond inhabited - which were still far stronger and more durable than our own - the only thing they had to worry about was what new expanse to discover next.

“You’re staring off into space again,” Lyam said, handing me a glass of sprite. “Was it a mad dash for treasure this time?”

“No,” I said. “They did away with that after some vocal complaints. Now everyone gets their share of the items.”

“You would know that, wouldn’t you?” Lyam chided. “There’s probably no fact you haven’t written down or memorized.”

“Hey, you have your fascination with ancient relics and I have….this.” I waved my hands, encompassing the entire crowd.

“Touché,” Lyam said. “The bartender said he’ll be dimming the lights any minute.”

As if on cue, the televisions changed to display a rotund man sitting behind a long rectangular desk. Boz had been one of Millennium Game’s representatives for what seemed like years now, and if the glint in his eyes was any indication he still shared in the excitement.

I stared hard at the stack of papers in his hands, blocking out his garish blue tie and pressed grey suit. Countless nights had been spent lying awake, pondering how far down the list I would be. Now I might get to know. To finally, once and for all, join the ranks of the others inside Battlebond.

“Good evening everyone. It is a pleasure, once again, to be the spokesperson of this year’s final selection. As you all know this is a fair process, one without malice or unjust compromises. Each and every name on this list will be read off in response to their location, culminating in the select few who live close to us here at company headquarters.”

Boz paused a moment, for effect or a breath of air I couldn’t discern.

“Without further adieu, I wholeheartedly welcome you to your new life.”

“Sohei Aybara. Tokyo.”

I sipped quietly at my drink as Boz began his steady descent down the list. Japan, Europe and Australia were the first, followed closely by Africa and South America. No one had exclaimed loudly yet, jumping madly up and down. It would be bizarre if they had. As far as I knew everyone in the bar were residents of the United States, and we were always the last to be named.

The wait was killing me

“We’ve still got some time Kage. Loosen up a little. Your empty glass will thank you,” Lyam said.

I sighed, unclenching my hand and setting the glass down on the railing. “How many do you think will make it through?”

“What, from the United States?” Lyam shook his head slowly. “The number hasn’t changed one bit. You know that.”

“Please”

“Twenty. Twenty people all across the country get their brains scanned and uploaded.” He waited a moment, meeting my gaze. “Hey. Hey. It’s going to happen. It may not be tonight, hell it may not be in a month or two, but you’re going to get in.” Lyam stepped closer, putting his arm across my shoulders. “I’ll make sure of that. Whatever it takes.”

“Right. Whatever it takes.” I knew, deep down, that he was right. That even if I wasn’t chosen now there would always be another chance down the road.

That didn’t make it any easier.

Again I was struck by the stable crawl of Boz’s eyes as he turned one page then another. In that moment, I found myself trembling as if I was the one on the other side of the screen. All the pressure placed solely on my shoulders, all the people’s lives I was changing minute after minute. How did he stay so collected?

“Jackson Stalhome. Kirkland.” The name was followed by a cacophony of yells. Off to my right one boy, long brown hair tied back, hugged his parents hard. Others around him looked on smiling.

“That’s one,” I whispered.

“Rina Mayhew. Seattle.”

“Alexander Basos. San Francisco.”

Boz continued uninterrupted. It was nothing short of a miracle, really. Having even one person picked from their hometown was, well, a phenomenon. One that likely wouldn’t happen again.

“To conclude, the last individual to be chosen is Christian Davis from New York.” He set down his stack of papers, raising his eyes as if to meet my own. “Normally one of my associates would come on next, to discuss events happening inside Battlebond. That won’t be the case this evening.”

Boz hesitated, his usual, jovial smile going away. “I regret to inform you that we here at Millennium Games have decided no more participants will be selected to enter Battlebond’s world. To clarify, this means no more future readings, and no more means of players to purchase a slot for their friends and loved ones.”

“From here on out, the gates to our system are closed.”

I didn’t react when Boz’s deep voice finally went silent. Nor did I react when everyone began to leave the bar and return to their homes. It wasn’t until Lyam shook me firmly that I finally focused.

“Let’s talk in the car, Kage. There has to be some way around this.”

“What? What, Lyam? You heard Boz just now, the gates are closed!” I struggled to contain my tears as we exited the bar and got into the car.

Was that it? All of my notes, all of my thoughts, of the time spent up late into the evening. It was all useless now.

“My spot,” Lyam blurted out, over the din of the sputtering engine. “I’ll transfer my spot over to you. You can…”

“It won’t work,” I muttered, gazing out the window. “Once you’re selected your name is locked in. No handing off allowed.”

“Then we’ll think of something else!” Lyam said, shouting. I jumped, startled. He never raised his voice.

“There isn’t anything else. I know all the rules, remember?” I leaned back in my seat, staring straight ahead.

For once I wish I didn’t.