Heir Apparent
by Vivian Vande Velde

Subjects: Computers & Technology 
Genre: Science Fiction

It's Gianine's 14th birthday and all she got is a lousy 50 dollar gift certificate to the virtual reality video arcade.  She saw the protesters carrying signs in front of the arcade demonstrating against the evils of VR video games, but she ignored them.  $50, all that would buy her is 30 minutes worth of video game time.  She picked one of the new games, Heir Apparent, it advertised 8 million ways to die and just as many ways to win.  It soon becomes apparent that she should have paid more attention to the protesters who commit an act of terrorism that traps her in the video game.  If she doesn't win the game before time runs out, her brain will be fried and she'll be a vegetable for life.  

Booktalk prepared by Janice Bailey, East Central High Librarian