The rules are plain for the eyes to see.

One male from each of the fifty states must walk, or die. Walk at a steady three mph constantoy. If you drop below that, you get a warning. Do it again or don't speed up? You get a second warning. Do it once more? You get your “ticket”.

If you were the last standing, you’d gain incomprehensible riches, pull your family out of poverty, and be granted a wish of your choosing.

Ray sat down next to Peter McVries, the boy he had just met at the starting area of the walk. The other young man was about his age, which was nice. They talked quietly, commenting on everyone they could see. An extremely toned blonde man, Stebbins, though they called him Superman. Hank Olsen, a short asian man snacking on a clementine. An optimistic scrawny man, Arthur Baker. There was another short man, sharpening a pencil and jotting in a notebook, Richard Harkness. And there were a few others.

Raymond was still processing everything that was happening, the weight of the situation slowly settling over him.