Borderline (Hive Mind 4)

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## POV Information

**Gender**
**Char Name**

Female
Amber

## Description

Being a telepath means your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness.

Eighteen-year-old Amber is the youngest of the five telepaths who protect the hundred million citizens of one of the great hive cities of twenty-sixth century Earth. Her job is hunting down criminals before they commit their crimes, but this time she must face multiple challenges.

While preparing to celebrate the New Year festival of family, Amber’s team have to deal with a case where the stakes grow increasingly personal. The help of Amber’s borderline telepath counsellor, Buzz, becomes crucial.

### Major Characters

* Amber
* Lucas
* Buzz
* Gregas
* Tobias
* Adika
* Mira
* Keith
* Gideon
* Telyn- Attack Specialist (New Character)
* Beckett - Pattern Anaylist (New Character)

### Plot Summary

As New Year approaches, Amber and her unit must overcome challenges both outside and inside the unit.

Tobias' personal resentment and bitterness causes trouble for Amber's unit, to the point where he becomes actively dangerous and must be confined. Amber wrestles with firing someone she considers a friend and brother.

Morton will undergo surgery immediately after New Year, leaving the Hive with only four operational Telepath Units for several months. In preparation, Amber's unit brings in new staff, including some of Claire's old Strike team members. The unit also sets up a private park for Amber to help her cleanse herself of echo personalities without going Outside.

Mira lets Amber know that her unit had arrested Amber's brother Gregas. She also warns Amber that Keith is actively trying to harm Amber and her unit.

Amber discovers that Gregas had an encounter with a wild bee, which awakened his borderline telepathic abilities. She initially refuses to tell Gregas the truth about his abilities, but reluctantly agrees that the truth would best help him. With Buzz's support, and to Amber's surprise and apprehension, Gregas quickly accepts his ability.

The Teen Game Blue Upway has grown too dangerous and Gold Commander Melisande tasks Amber's unit with shutting down the game. First, Lucas recruits Beckett, a member of Keith's Tactical team, to coordinate a timeline and geographical pattern analysis of Blue Upway. Second, Lucas sends four members of the Beta Strike team including Forge to infiltrate Blue Upway and try to learn the Game Commander's identity. Third, Lucas and his Tactical team begin a new Teen Game called Halloween to draw players away from Blue Upway. Unfortunately, the pattern analysis reveals that the Game Commander is actively trying to hurt people and cause trouble. When the Game Commander realizes that Halloween is stealing their players, he kidnap Forge.

During this investigation, Amber and Lucas meet with six siblings who are members of Hive Politics. They learn that Bruce, the Teen Level surfing coach, had been harassing the youngest sister Michaela, the original Game Commander, on Teen Level. After Michaela went through Lottery, Bruce found her game master stack and began issuing increasingly dangerous challenges. Michaela had just registered a claim for newly discovered Hive England people in Hive Genex - including a true telepath - but Joint Hive Treaty Enforcement would reject the claim if Michaela had any illegal activity on her record. Since Bruce had threatened to report Michaela to Law Enforcement, the siblings reluctantly gave into his blackmail and kept quiet. They feared to ask a Telepath Unit for help because Keith had interfered with Hive Politics in the past.

Amber's unit arrests Bruce and secures the game master stack. Forge is rescued with the help of Halloween players. The Tactical team shuts down Halloween, but have Michaela run Blue Upway until the next Lottery to provide her an alibi to Joint Hive Treaty Enforcement.

Keith continues to cause trouble for Amber's unit. Keith fires Beckett and erases the crucial timeline pattern analysis, resulting in a mission to rescue Beckett and the only remaining copy of the analysis. Keith also releases Tobias, resulting a difficult chase that leaves Amber with an extremely strong echo personality. Amber later negotiates peace with Keith, but at the cost of a future favor.

As the book ends, Amber and Lucas celebrate their first New Year festival together with Amber's family. There are many problems ahead, but Amber's unit and family will be her strength.

## References

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