A Brief History of the Future

The Brain Machine Interface, once hailed the world-changing and glorious access to the augmented world, has become the perfect commercial distraction for the denizens of the New West--the pablum that keep the poverty-ridden masses working for their New East managers. Thomas Bell, a graduate student studying advanced programming, spends his nights subjected to virtual torture for cash to pay for his mother's vital medical treatments and hopes one day to rebuild his family. Because that's what a pragmatic young man does after witnessing his father get snuffed out by his own idealistic, rebellious dreams. To Thomas, brains and pain tolerance are all he needs to make a future for himself and his mom, the only family he has left. Thomas is initially elated when he's tapped to join an elite, accelerated internship working inside the Architecture--the structure that controls the Brain Machine Interface and enables every person in the New West to access the artificial realities that keep the world turning. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, with the financial rewards to match.