01 - Highest Treason by Randall Garrett

In a future where humanity has achieved its utopian dream of absolute equality, material poverty is a relic of the past. However, this new social order comes with its own set of chains‚Aîclass distinctions are now horizontal, and advancement is dictated solely by seniority, not talent. What is an intelligent and ambitious man to do when shackled by a society that stifles his innate abilities? For Colonel Sebastian MacMaine, a military officer caught in the throes of war and a true believer in the very principles that bind him, the choice to betray his own side may be the only way to break free from this oppressive system. Can he navigate the treacherous waters of loyalty and ambition in a world that defies the laws of nature?