The Cube — Camille Picott

Sixteen-year-old Sulan Hom can't remember life before the Default -- the day the United States government declared bankruptcy. As a math prodigy, she leads a protected life, kept safe from the hunger and crime plaguing the streets of America. She attends the corporate-sponsored Virtual High School, an academy in Vex (Virtual Experience) for gifted children.

Beyond the security of Sulan's high-tech world, the Anti-American League wages a guerrilla war against the United States. Their leader, Imugi, is dedicated to undermining the nation's reconstruction attempts. He attacks anything considered a national resource, including corporations, food storage facilities -- and schools. Sulan witnesses the public execution of a teenage student and determines she must learn to defend herself. When her mother, a retired mercenary, refuses to help, Sulan takes matters into her own hands.

This young adult dystopia/cyberpunk novelette is an excerpt from the first novel in the series. Enjoy this introduction to the world of Sulan!