Dark Circuitry

In the wake of a devastating global pandemic, sixty-million people take refuge in fortified bunkers across the Quarantine Zone. While their physical bodies lie frozen in cryostasis, their virtual avatars populate a sprawling cyber-colony known as the Hive; but this “New Reality” is no utopia. Rival gangs wage war on the streets. Religious zealots manipulate the masses. A corrupt ruling class pulls the strings behind the scenes. Veteran cop Luke Duncan-Epsilon sends money to the daughter he left back in Reality Prime. His name is well-known throughout the Gaming Sector, where he spends his nights trying to win enough to reunite his family once and for all. That is until a wanted cyberterrorist who calls herself “the Prophet” infiltrates the Hive, forcing him to confront the dark secrets of his past—and the uncertain future of humanity.

©2025 Kirk Bueckert (P)2026 Dark Matter INK