Seeing Double by Tom Crosshill

Writers of the Future XXVI

Since high school when Sasha would have troubles with another student at school, John and Sasha jack-stream into one another. John would race to the restroom and then deposit his fighting skills into Sasha's mind. Sasha becomes a college professor and, according his friend Dima, very peaceful. But when John jack-streams into Sasha, Sasha beats up or kills people (political assassins). Therefore, Dima tries a two-prong attack to separate their connection.

This one's written as if Nancy Kress were channeling yet rewriting the visions of William Gibson. I had to reread this a number of times. Maybe I was too tired while reading it, but I kept wondering if I were to question John's veracity. In the end, I think not. So far nothing I've read in these anthologies is a literary-intellectual challenge; so I doubt this would be an exception.