The Shipping Wars completely reformed the business of carrying things from one point to another. Competition grew so fierce that it finally burst into armed conflict. The old companies were destroyed by the fighting, and Parcel Service rose out of their combined ashes. Obtaining nation-status, Parcel Service exercised its power to make certain that those dark days of competition are gone. Every truck is armored, every package defended, every step taken to ensure that the mail must flow - through Parcel Service. When an unscrupulous employee stole a valuable console and sold it to the competition, it was only natural that he used Parcel Service to move the device. He didn't plan on getting caught or being forced to reveal the tracking number of the package. Now, the rightful owners want their console back, and they've offered a ridiculous bounty for its safe return. Armed with the knowledge of the console's route, a smuggler, a sniper, and a shape-shifting thief concoct a risky plan to claim the bounty: taking on Parcel Service and hitting their armored car - with another armored car. Set in "The Bright Future," this short story takes place before book 1 in the series: "The Cookie Caper."