Warcross

In training, Emika decides that because Asher can show his display during training sessions, they must connect by network. The virtual world of the training grounds appears. The team members wear red body armor, each configured to their role; for example, Hammie’s Thief suit has compartments where “she can stash items away” (153). Asher explains that the whitewashed training grounds include elements from various worlds and levels to prepare teams for the championships. He creates a power-up that will “morph” one thing into another and sets Hammie and Emika to compete for it. Emika uses Architect skills to try to beat Hammie to the power-up, such as blowing up the base of a streetlamp so that it tips and becomes a faster path to the prize. At one point Hammie steals Emika’s rope: “You’re not the only one with tools, wild card” (156).

Emika takes the power-up before the five-minute time limit, but Hammie steals it away and gets it to Asher first, a move allowed in Warcross. Emika learns that following through with specific instructions is important. The other professional players compliment her skills and potential. Later, Emika goes through her teammates’ personal accounts, files, memories, and photos that she downloaded, deleting memories after viewing that are not important and feeling guilt for “combing through others’ private data” (162).