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Virtual-world. The largest Virtual-world attraction, the Powerdrome, contained four separate “worlds” where tourists could battle with a variety of robotic enemies.
    The billboard was split into four screens; each one revealed a different artificial world within the immense Powerdrome. The first screen read; “DARK WORLD – PREPARE TO ENTER A FANTASY WORLD OF BOUNDLESS IMAGINATION.” The picture on the screen showed a group of ordinary people engaged in swordfights with armored knights in an ancient castle hall. The next screen on the billboard read; “SPACE WORLD – EXPLORE STRANGE NEW WORLDS IN OUTER SPACE.” The picture showed a laser shootout in a space station corridor. The next screen read; “CRIME WORLD – EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE.” The picture contained a shootout between two gangs of nineteen-twenties gangsters wielding Tommy Guns. The last screen read; “PREHISTORIC WORLD – EXPERIENCE THE WORLD WHEN DINOSAURS RULED SUPREME.” The picture showed a ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex with wide slavering jaws and razor-sharp teeth pursuing a group of frightened people across a jungle clearing.
    Whenever Peter saw one of the Virtual-world ads, a shiver of excitement ran down his spine. More than anything he wanted to go there and experience the excitement of the four fantasy worlds.  He wanted to escape his monotonous routine and engage in a fantastic adventure.   
    Billy Ryder saw him staring at the billboard and followed his gaze to the jaws of the Tyrannosaurus.
    “That place looks pretty cool, huh?” Ryder commented, flicking his used butt on the sidewalk.
    “Definitely,” Peter agreed without tearing his gaze from the billboard.
    “Too bad we’ll never be able to go there,” Ryder said.
    “Huh?” Peter asked, forcing himself to tear his gaze away from the images.
    “I said, it’s too bad we’ll never go there. You have to be an Executive to go to Virtual-world.”
    Ryder’s simple statement brought the reality of the situation home to Peter. An intense feeling of depression struck him like a tidal wave. He would never be able to go there. He looked down at the cracked sidewalk and tried to push the Virtual-world images out of his mind. What was the use of fantasizing about something you could never do?
    Traffic began thinning out at the nearby exit ramps as they reached the end of the billboard section. Only an occasional ground car drove past them at this point. All the anti-gravs had either remained in Central City or had taken exits to the suburbs. When they reached the section of the city where they lived, Henry broke the silence.
    “Damn, guys, remind me to stay away from talking politics from now on. We agree on just about everything else!” he said, clapping his hand on Peter’s shoulder and giving him a rough hug with his right arm.
    “Okay, Henry, no politics,” Peter agreed, smiling.
    “For a while I thought you and Billy were going to gang up on me and kick my ass,” Henry said, laughing.
    Peter and Billy joined in.
    “You gotta love walking to work! We have so much time to talk, we’re at each other’s throats half the time!” Henry said.
    “You got that right, Henry,” Billy agreed.
    Henry began talking about his experiences at the Nexis Entertainment Club the previous night and Peter got involved in the discussion. Pretty soon, he had forgotten they had argued at all.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 5
    The Protesters
     
     
        Campion leaned back in her office chair and placed her feet on her desk.
        I should have gone on that mission, she decided, taking a cigarette out and lighting up.
        Campion recognized the inherent contradiction of lifting weights and running consistently, and yet still having the occasional cigarette. She enjoyed the contradiction.
        If I had gone on that mission, I wouldn’t be sitting here worrying about it. I’d be in the middle of it and I wouldn’t