EarthCent Metaverse Books
Does a galaxy managed by ancient alien artificial intelligence have room for an anarchist community of hackers trying to preserve tech culture from Earth? Four decades after leaving Earth to maintain computing and gaming culture in the face of superior alien technology, three generations on Bits are faced with falling demand for their products and services. After the mass defection of ten percent of their members to Flower, the Rules Committee receives a generous offer to develop a new vertical gaming franchise for virtual reality. Will a timely infusion of cash help Bits rebuild its economy and continue in its traditions, or does the deal come with strings attached to the invisible hand of a puppeteer? Bits of Anarchy is the first book in the EarthCent Metaverse spin-off series. It can be read alone, but starting with the second book, the series will intersect with the main EarthCent thread. If you’ve never read an EarthCent book, the starting point is Destiny: Union Station, but if thirty books are too daunting, you can skip to book one of the first spin-off, Independent Living.
Read Double Living first! After spending their lives in a closed society of gamers and hackers, the anarchists from Bits seize the opportunity to explore new options on an alien colony ship contracted by EarthCent to visit a circuit of sovereign human communities. The members of Mouser's gaming group rebuild their lives on Flower, but not everybody is happy abiding by the rules. Can a group of independent people adapt to being manipulated by alien artificial intelligence for the greater good, or will they split up an go their own ways. Bits of Flower and Double Living both take place on the sentient colony ship, Flower, with overlapping timelines and characters. But Bits of Flower ends second, so it contains spoilers for Double Living.
The ancient past and the future share the stage in the third book of EarthCent Metaverse. Mouser, the reluctant mayor of the colony ship Miklat, finds himself left in the dark as he shares command with the ship's alien owners, a pair of husband-hunting co-captains from the Human Empire, and a Dollnick ex-military AI. Fortunately, the best laid plans of advanced species are designed to tolerate both human foibles and freelancing alien intelligence agents. Add in a Verlock-trained xenoarchaeologist, a new police chief, and a visiting Farling physician, and you have all the ingredients for a change in the galaxy.
Every business deal is performance art when aliens trade for unique products. As the first major ship to make regular trips between the galactic tunnel network and the Farling Empire, the Miklat is at the center of a new web of commerce and intrigue. The Zarents, with the cooperation of humans, are trying to raise their profile in the galactic community by starting a business incubator for alien entrepreneurs. But the status quo is challenged by a new group of immigrants from Earth, who now outnumber the expatriates from Bits (and Flower), resulting in a political showdown for Mayor Mouser, who would rather be running games.