Eighteen-year-old Court has been on the streets ever since police found him bloodied up and unconscious a year ago. He has no recollection of what happened or who he is. He had no wallet on him, no identification except for a name inscribed on his (handkerchief/coat/other). Lives in an old, half-finished factory with two friends--a lady named Phyllis (who calls him Courtney) and a kid his age, Zeke. There have been recent protests against Spectral Tech, Inc., a company whose consciousness-porting technology allows the wealthy to hire 'Specter' agents, lower-class people who essentially give up control of their bodies for a certain amount of time in exchange for monetary compensation. The wealthy still control all, but now the middle class is made up primarily of so-called "specs," and with technological developments in manufacturing, agriculture, etc. people who oppose conscience porting have no real means of sustenance and thus live in poverty. Having lived on the streets, Court has become a champion of the common man and an active opponent to Spectral Tech.
Having had little success in terms of his peaceful protests, Court eventually decides to take things into his own hands by sneaking into the highrise where Spectral Tech houses their executive offices. Court and some of his fellow activists venture inside, but Court gets separated from his comrades and ends up being chased by guards up to the top floor. Court tries a number of doors, and just as the guards burst from the elevator, one of the doors scans Court's eye and opens inward. Court tumbles inside and a computer voice greets him by name as the door closes gently behind him. Looks around at the posh office space. Big windows, plush white carpets, modern art. Quiet, no sound from the security officers who are probably pounding down the corridor and will soon be bursting through the mahogany door. In the corner, Court sees a Spectral Chamber (provides nourishment, health monitoring, etc. so they don't have to leave the immersive environment unless they want to). He's never seen one before. Goes over, jumps when he sees that there's a man in the chamber! Court's blood is boiling, anger rising, and then he sees the Spectral display. The display's field of vision has centered on a Spectral display, creating an infinite loop of decreasing windows. Court looks over at the man, and in his peripheral vision he sees that the display now shows the same man. Right as the guards burst through the door, Court comes to the realization that he himself is a specter...
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