Teen Games

## Overview

Technically teen games are illegal in the hive, but allowed as long as the risk and danger level is kept under control.

The games are allowed as it creates an outlet for the teens that are naturally rebels and high risk-takers. If they didn't have an outlet for those traits there could be serious clashes with authority and some teens would tip over into becoming wild bees resulting in damage to others and the Hive.

Games created by Teens for other teens are a useful way of identifying future Tactical leaders and team members

The Game Commander and all players work at staying anonymous themselves so that playing the games doesn't ruin their futures.

Games usually stay within their home zone and never reach more then 1500 players. Many new games will die out within the first two months as either the Game Commander has become over whelmed or the players are bored with the challenges.

Whenever a telepath unit has to investigate a Teen Game by infiltration, it is always the youngest Telepath as most of their strike team can still pass as a teen to go uncover.

## How a Game Works

The game commander offers tasks for the players to perform. The players must offer proof such as video and messaging while they are performing the task to be able to claim the points. When a certain level is reached by a player, they are promoted to Lieutenant, Captain, etc.

Everyone uses an alias or game name to hide their true identity.

### Game Commander

A Game is usually started by an 18 year old in their last year of Teen Level 50, usually at the beginning of their last year. The person that runs the game is called the Game Commander. The Game Commander creates challenges for the players to participate in, many of these challenges include trespassing in forbidden areas of the hive. The commander then awards points to the players based on their performances with the challenges.

Most teen games run from soon after Carnival ends until around the next Carnival when the Game Commander is preparing to go into Lottery and to start their new life as an adult.

It is possible, though rare that a 17 year old starts a game, when that happens the game doesn't die down during the next carnival and will often pick up even more new players.

### Game Stack

A Game Commander needs multiple anonymous Dataviews. These dataviews are often ones that some of their functions no longer work, then they are reset to the factory setting so there is only the data views id. The dataviews are referred to as the Game stack and all messages to players and between players are routed through them. Early players are usually asked to donate an extra anonymous Dataview for the chance at an immediate high level position in the game. The new recruit is usually instructed to leave the dataview at a drop off point.

The Game stack is usually abandoned and left to run out of power or is shut down and recycled.

### The Players

The players win points by following challenges that the Game commander has posted. They must send in pictures and report from their own anonymous Dataview, while performing these challenges. As they gain points they gain game levels and eventually can lead their own in Game Group. The progression is usually player, Lieutenant, Captain and Colonel.

The players are all ages of teens.

### Game Champion

Usually only one Champion will be named for unusual and often extreme fetes of bravery and danger. When a champion is named there is usually an anonymous meeting between the player and game Commander where the Champion receives some type of medal or badge. Both of them are masked and usually takes place in a very dark place like a park with only it's stars lit, well after everyone else has left the park.

### Description

Blue Upway is a teen game that has become dangerous and distracting, and must be stopped quickly.

At the time the problems start to be noticed the game has gone Hive wide and has reached 30,000 players.

The other unique aspect is that the game has been in existence for over a year.

### Summary

#### Borderline

In Borderline, three different Telepath Units - Amber, Mira and Keith - have run across game groups from the teen game Blue Upway during emergency runs. The game, which had been normal and responsibly run in the past, has become too dangerous. Gold Commander Melisande tasks Lucas with bringing the situation under control. It is always the youngest Telepath Unit, in this case Amber's, which deals with such illegal games, since its Strike Team members can most convincingly infiltrate Teen Level.

A member of Keith's Tactical Team and the best pattern analyst in the Hive, Beckett is requested to do geographical and timeline analyses of the game.

Lucas and his Tactical team create a teen game themselves - Halloween - to attempt to draw players away from Blue Upway. In the meantime, four members of Amber's Beta Strike team - Forge, Penn, Amir and Yosh - go undercover in Blue Zone as delinquent teens to try and infiltrate Blue Upway. Forge has already played Blue Upway as a teen and is actually the highest-ranked player, the Blue Upway Champion. He is disguised as a blond so nobody will recognize him.

The problem turns out to be more complicated than expected, as the original Game Commander is no longer present and the game has been taken over by a malicious person who takes pleasure in endangering players. One dies in an accident, and Amber feels the death happen.

Lucas and Amber solve the puzzle, salvage Blue Upway by making it safe once more, and protect the Hive by hiding explosive secrets they learn in the course of their investigation.

## Book Reference

### Description

In *Borderline*, Lucas invents a new and exciting teen game called Halloween, named after the ominous Festival of Darkness and Death. The purpose is to get teens to stop playing Blue Upway, a teen game that has become too dangerous.

### Operations

The first step, using reverse psychology, is to warn all teens in the Hive away from the new game, which rouses the the curiosity of the biggest risk takers.

With the enthusiastic help of his tactical team, Lucas dresses up as the Hunter of Souls and videos instructions instead of using the messaging system that all other games utilize. Players are invited to become part of his pack, the Scavengers of Darkness. To qualify they have to trespass on Level 1 to take a selfie wearing one of the special Halloween masks and send it to the contact number for that mask. The participants are invited to an illegal Halloween party held in the middle of the night at specific parks on teen level. The parties are hosted by Hasties that usually play the part of a Nosy, but they are in Halloween costumes and mask. The party ends with the excitement of a raid by Hasties. Subsequent challenges involve the recruitment of more players and Darkness events. By means of presenting a superior game (with the vast resources of law enforcement underpinning his efforts), Lucas successfully lures the most risk-loving teens away from Blue Upway. The new game wins adherents with unprecedented speed all over the Hive.

When Forge is kidnapped and lost in darkness on the lowest level of the Hive, Lucas mobilizes the players of Halloween to help search for him. The boy who finds and frees Forge is named Halloween Champion, the highest honor in a teen game.

Lucas shuts the game down once the problem with Blue Upway is resolved, despite protests from Beckett, who has become attached to the challenge of running a teen game.

## See also

* Hive England
* Health and Safety
* Teen Level 50

## References

### Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Edwards, Janet. Borderline (Hive Mind Book 4) . Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition.
2. ↑ Edwards, Janet. Borderline (Hive Mind Book 4) . Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition.

### Bibliography

* Edwards, Janet. *Borderline (Hive Mind 4)* (2019). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition