Humphrey opened his eyes to see his mother's face. His father was standing just behind her.
"Don't be afraid, baby," his mother said, "it can't hurt you."
"Are you ready for a second try?" his father asked, smiling.
"Wow!" Humphrey said slowly, "that was scary."
"You don't have to go again if you don't want to, sweetie," his mother said with a worried look. His father kept smiling patiently, and then said, "I think he's ready."
"Yeah, I'm ready," Humphrey said enthusiastically, "send me back out!"
"Brace yourself," the tech said standing beside him. Then the room vanished and he was back out in the Game.

Life on Glissful was safe. They'd managed to learn how to live with such a harsh planet melding their technology with the planet's resources and dangers. Life on Earth had not gone so well. Starvation and poverty were rampant, but their technology far exceeded that of Glissful.

It was 2266 and Earth was coming to take from Glissful everything it had. But Glissful had a secret, a technology Earth had long abandoned to the lower caste and servants. Except on Glissful it had been perfected. Could it be enough?