Most boys, at least back when I was young, would love to be cowboys or soldiers. In our play, there was no blood and when we "killed" our playmates, they came right back to life and vied to return the favor during the next battle. It was harmless fun that all of we little rascals loved. In the day of this story, Venus has been colonized and our Earth is a blazing star due to man's own carelessness with nuclear weapons - which are outlawed on Venus. Johnny Gordon is a Senator's son whose play was mostly solitairey and on a advanced computer program which was designed specifically for him by his beloved Uncle Dan, A commander in one of the mercenary forces (there are no government militaries) that are joined with specific city domes for mutual support. The program(s) Johnny played/trained on were highly realistic and factual, as Johnny soon learns as his Uncle Dan offers him a place at his side and he learns the harsh reality of war. Another great story by Master Author David Drake.