Presenting the thrilling culmination of the epic sci-fi series, this novel revisits a world where global economic activity is carried out in a virtual-gaming realm. A new blood-transmitted virus has become a black market staple due to its rejuvenating effects, forcing infected “Eternals” into a tightly knit underground where they must hack the “V-net” for food and shelter. When the leader of the Eternals, Helena Sharp, begins to lose her immortality, she flees to an old lover for strength and solace as the entire Eternal community is thrown into chaos. Meanwhile, the young clone Niko discovers the truth about her gifted daughter, who carries the future heritage of humanity in her augmented DNA. This knowledge forces Niko to confront her progenitor, Phillip Davis, with a litany of experimental abuse—only to discover that Phillip has fully integrated his persona with the AI Beast who controls V-space. With the aid of the charismatic avatar Philomena, he embarks on a program of manipulation and control that will redefine the boundaries of death and consciousness. Advancing the post-cyberpunk genre into new territory, this compelling series delves into intriguing questions of religion, God, family, and the universe’s central source of life.
