Pandora X
"The year is 2094. In the middle of the sand-swept desert lies New Angeles, an oasis of filth and sin, where treachery hides behind every corner and games are never all that they seem.
After her father’s untimely death, fourteen-year-old Niko Spec is left with no money, no job, and no prospects. Now her father’s gambling debts have been passed on to her—Niko has to pay them, and soon, or she’ll be condemned to a life of serving her father’s killers.
Niko might be able to find salvation in Pandora X, the virtual reality battle simulator that’s all the rage in the casinos of New Angeles. If Niko can lead her team to victory, her debts might be erased. But her Squadron is falling apart at the seams, and the competition is strong. Niko’s only hope is SeaDrake—the Pandora X champion who disappeared without a trace three years ago.
Jake “SeaDrake” Randall knows how to disappear. He’s been on the run for years now, hiding from the Sparrows—the street gang that still owns his life-debt. But Drake is haunted by what he left behind: namely, Carson Law, his once-teammate and ex-lover. If Drake wants to save Law, he’ll have to return to the world of the Sparrows and Pandora X—and there might be no escaping, this time.
Surrounded by enemies on all sides, Niko and Drake have no choice but to delve deeper into the virtual world. But the pressure is mounting—Law has his own reasons for wanting to take the championship, and he won’t let Drake and Niko win without a fight.
When you’re playing with your life, failure isn’t an option. Welcome to the world of Pandora X."
PANDORA X is a high-action cyberpunk story with found family elements and an LGBTQ+ romance subplot. It is cross-posted on Royal Road.
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