"Derick pushed his bulky legs forward, running with his head slightly lowered and his two-foot horn leading the way. He barreled ahead, feeling the weight of his steps, the thickness of the skin at the top of his legs rubbing against his tough body. It wasn't really him, of course. Derick's real body was hooked up to sensors and straps suspending him from the ceiling in an avatar lab. The hightech equipment allowed his movements to control the robot avatar. What he did, the rhino did. And what it felt, he felt. It was as though Derick really was a hulking beast. "11 . . . 10 . . . 9," Dr. Mackleprank counted down. "You'd better hurry, Derick. You're doing better than ever, but I'm not sure it will be enough. A real white rhino can run up to thirty miles per hour and Rafa may be able to go that fast." As the teacher spoke, Derick could hear his classmates cheering him on from behind the viewing window. It was definitely one of the louder days in Zoology. Their yells fueled him to move faster. He knew they were all gathered in one of the large rooms outside the created animal habitat, watching intently. The habitat, complete with trees, boulders, and watering holes, was a place where they could practice being animals. If they studied hard, passed all their tests, and excelled enough with the avatars, they could one day interact and play with the real animals nearby in the school's zoo." Excerpted from Cragbridge Hall, Book 2: The Avatar Battle by Chad Morris All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
