Prologue

The ball sailed flawlessly through the hoop just milliseconds before the final buzzer went off. Cheers and applause erupted from the bleachers as all the Tigers fans in the auditorium went wild. They, Springfield High, had beaten their arch-rivals in basketball 92-90 thanks to a superb show of athleticism by the high school team star, Brad Peterson. At 15, Brad was only a Sophomore, but we was the best athlete in the county. The crowd mobbed the floor, and Brad was hoisted high in the air; not an easy feat considering that he was six one with a powerful build to match. In this moment of elation, it seemed like nothing could stop the young rising star. Mike Robards knew differently.

Mike watched as Brad was paraded into the locker room atop the shoulders of his adoring peers, and smiled glibly to himself. Easily the brightest student in the tenth grade, and in the state for that matter, Mike knew that Brad's glory was fleeting. But Brad would never know it. To satisfy his voracious lust, especially for girls with very large breasts, Mike knew that he needed a new body, and he wanted Brad's. It would only be a matter of time before he could make the acquisition.

Mike joined his friends Steve and Randy at the post-game party at Matt Cori's house. All three were bright, middle-of-the-road guys. Not popular, not unpopular, they were simply extras on the high school stage. Mike sipped his beer and observed his prey, Brad, from across the room. Brad, was sprawled out in a reclining chair doing tequila shots with hottest girls in the school, who were obviously getting inebriated at a much faster rate than Brad, who scooped up his nearest groupie, a little ninth grade hottie, and pulled her onto his lap. After kissing her deeply, he grabbed her hand and lead her up the stairs that went to Matt's parents' bedroom, the most coveted hook-up spot for kids in the high school. Mike simply observed and sipped his beer.

About forty-five minutes later, the lucky girl emerged from the stairway, flushed, disheveled, and all smiles. There were two blatant wet spots on her tee shirt over her breasts. She made her way back into the living room and disappeared into the crowd of partygoers. Mike finished up his fourth beer and decided to call it a night. Tomorrow was Saturday, and he and his lab partner had a science project to complete.

The next day at noon, Mike's lab partner rang the front doorbell. Mike let Brad in. After some chit-chat, a few cans of coke, and some television, Mike took Brad down to the basement to show him the progress he had made on the project. As Brad understood it, they were constructing a device that allowed the users to control video games with their thoughts. Mike, an avid fan of the movie "Total Recall" and a genius in the field of neuroscience, understood differently.

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