Free Grid Seekers (Grid Seekers Book One) by Logan Byrne Page B

screen will use the card. This is exactly how it will be like for you,” Quinn said.
    The screen had a blank-faced person standing in an open space, the ground flat; there were no trees, hills, shrubs, or anything else. It looked a little lame, but I guess it was cool in its own way.
    “I will choose the terraform skim card,” Quinn said, holding it up.
    Quinn grabbed the card, put it at the top of the skimmer, and before skimming it, said something aloud, something that every competitor was seemingly forced to say to get it to work correctly, which I did remember from last year’s competition.
    “Modify,” she said, a second before skimming the card.
    Her card took, and the dummy inside the simulation moved his arms and legs, punching and kicking. The flat ground came up, and he was able to control the earth itself, warping and forming it how he wanted. I was in awe, knowing a card like that could do such great things for both my partner and myself. We could build a shelter, build a fortress of some kind, or even make tunnels that would allow us to stay hidden. Controlling the ground and earth itself would be a game-changing ability.
    “As you can see, the dummy inside the simulation is able to have full control over the ground itself. He can warp, shape, and form it the way he wants with no limitations. He could pull up boulders, rip huge chasms into the ground, or even take himself up to higher ground,” Quinn said.
    Jamie raised her hand and Quinn looked at her.
    “How long do the cards last? If I have that card and skim it, will my powers be permanent?” Jamie asked.
    “What an excellent question! No, your ability isn’t permanent. Each card can only be used once every six hours. This is to keep the user from spamming their powerful cards over and over again, giving themselves an unfair advantage. Each card lasts for approximately five minutes, though you can’t always use them consistently during that five-minute duration. For example, a plasma cannon card is the most powerful weapon, though you can only fire it off twice in the five-minute span because of the recharge time it needs,” Quinn said.
    “Can we use multiple cards in a row?” Jamie asked.
    “You can, though you might not want to! Since each card has a six-hour-long cool-down time, using all of your cards at once, though it may be powerful for a short time, will leave you completely vulnerable for six long hours after. Some players here might take advantage of that,” Quinn said.
    The dummy inside the simulation stopped his actions, the ground going back flat like it was before the skim, like it never even happened. Seeing that demonstration and hearing Quinn talk about the variety of random cards we had to choose from made me wonder exactly what kind of cards we’d get to pick from. How many were there? How many of those were really powerful, and how many were really useless?
    “Okay, now we’re going to start the hacker assignment process, as well as your teammate assignments. Guards, if you’d please let the hackers in and let them know we’re ready for them, I’d appreciate it,” Quinn said.
    I knew the hackers were our lifeline and support, and they were in the same situation we were. Most of them were kids or adults who had gotten into trouble somehow; they weren’t exactly criminals by any means, but people who used their special gifts for not-so-great things.
    The hackers came in, twelve of them in all. They all looked different, and I couldn’t tell what their home megacities were, as they didn’t have any bracelets or other identifying information on them.
    “These are your hackers. They have everything to gain by helping you and your partner navigate through the competition and helping you find cards and gifts along the way. If they lose, or you and your partner are eliminated, they will face the same fate as you. If they help you win, they also get a wish, which I know they all want. Even though your hacker will be your