Chapter One: The Human Passing Machine

The whistle called team drills. Kai took his usual place twenty yards behind the offense, wearing the red noncontact helmet that marked him as useful but never important. Coach Hector Grant rolled his play sheet into a tube. “First defense! Double-A pressure today. Kai, move around and give them some speed.” On the first snap, a rookie linebacker drove through the gap after Kai's fake handoff. The drill demanded restraint; the rookie needed a roster spot. His shoulder struck Kai under the chin. The world tipped sideways. White light flooded the face mask. A doctor knelt over him. “Can you hear me? Follow my finger.” Then Kai heard another voice, pressed against the inside of his skull.