This Virtual Night

The second novel in a space opera duo set in the second age of stellar colonization.

It is the second age of stellar colonization.The first age ended in disaster when it was discovered that superluminal travel inflicted permanent genetic damage to all who used it - mutating Earth's far-flung colonists in body and mind. Earth abandoned them. But some of the colonies survived, and a new 'Outworld' civilization of 'Variants' has germinated. They have given humanity back the stars, but at a high price - a monopoly over all commerce.

A suicide assault has destroyed the life support system of a major waystation. All that is known about the young men responsible is that in their last living moments they were receiving messages from an uninhabited sector of space, and were playing a virtual reality game. Two unlikely allies have joined forces to investigate the incident: Ru Gaya, a mercenary explorer with a taste for high-risk ventures, and game designer Micah Bello, who must find the parties responsible for the attack in order to clear his name. From the corridors of a derelict station lost to madness to an outlaw stronghold in the depths of uncharted space, the two now follow the trail of a foe who can twist human minds to their purpose, and whose plans will bring about the collapse of outworld civilization.