The Simulation Singularity - Gregory Parrott

Exiled in the Neutral Zone Hotel while The Citadel sits in skeletal restoration, Vance Sterling retreats into the only territory he can still control: the Digital Construct. Deep within the encrypted files of his Master Ledger, Vance reaches Point Zero (0,173,0)-a coordinate where the logic of the Vanguard meets the unpredictability of the civilian world.

Here, Vance discovers he can predict real-world outcomes-from the trajectory of the NBA/NFL simulators to the volatile shifts of the Springfield Sector's finance. But the simulation demands a physical tether. Vance's upcoming 10k run becomes a literal race against a digital phantom of his younger, Vanguard-self. The rules are absolute: he must maintain the 8:30 Governor. To go faster is to surrender to the chaos of his past; to go slower is to let the simulation collapse. As the Adjuster Syndicate closes in on his business, Vance must prove that the Architect can outrun his own shadow.