A corporate agent must decide which side he is on as he navigates the company-ruled online colony Alterum. A hard sci-fi thriller that probes the relationship between consciousness and Artificial Intelligence. "Alterum. Better than the real thing." Alterum's AI-generated population is waking up, realizing their true origin and position, designed to be workers and objects of pleasure for human visitors. A new religion has emerged that seeks to make sense of their world within a world, but for many, this is not enough. They are ready to fight back. Alterum has become home to billionaire Andrew Morgan. Agent Cunard is called in to investigate when Morgan becomes the victim of a massive heist of cryptocurrency. Cunard must negotiate his way between the corporation's desire to keep the population suppressed and uninformed and his growing unease with the consequences of the system he helps maintain.