The Softwire
The Softwire is a series of four young adult science fiction novels by PJ Haarsma. It is set in space, in an original fictional universe of Haarsma's creation. A group of around two hundred children are orphaned in outer space on their journey to the Rings of Orbis: giant, planet-like rings which surround a wormhole. The children's parents are killed during an incident in the "seed-ship" in which they are traveling and the computer controlling the ship has raised the children—the eldest of whom are thirteen-years-old as the ship reaches Orbis.
By Orbisian law, the children are required to enter into four years of indentured servitude to pay for their trip. Each novel takes place during one year of indentured servitude. One of the children, thirteen-year-old Johnny Turnbull, becomes the first ever human softwire—someone who can "speak to" and "enter into" computers with his mind. The Softwire focuses on JT, his sister Ketheria, and their friends, Max and Theodore.
The books are accompanied by a free online role-playing game called Rings of Orbis which requires players to answer questions about the novels in order to solve puzzles and advance within the game.
The first three chapters of "The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1", read by Haarsma's close friend Nathan Fillion, are freely available on the web as a taster.
Background
The Softwire details the fictional account of human orphans condemned to slavery in an alien world. Although completely comprehensible as a functioning civilization, this alien world has no similarity to anything on Earth.The Softwire exists on two planes: simple, adventurous tales of a young boy discovering his purpose in life; and complex, compelling renditions of corruption and oppression, and their effect upon the human spirit. The overriding premise behind the series is the maturation of Johnny T as he struggles to overcome an abusive domination which pushes him to fulfill his destiny as a leader, and as a guardian. Positive themes which are explored include: compassion, perseverance, fear, family, kindness, cruelty, self-reliance and the power of positivism. A constant question posed is whether a person can retain his sense of ethics when consistently exposed to situations of desperate adversity.
Each book takes place on one of four, alien-constructed rings, which surround the XYZ wormhole. Each ring has a specific purpose toward the maintenance of Orbisian society: Orbis 1 is the seat of government; Orbis 2 is the industrial center which houses crystal refineries; Orbis 3 is the center of commerce for Citizens who control the rings; and Orbis 4 is the location of the service industries for the system. The XYZ wormhole is used by various creatures for commercial purposes: the selling of precious crystals mined from two nearby moons to civilizations throughout the galaxy.
The Citizens are individuals from varied alien races; they maintain control of Orbisian wealth through the Trading Council. Most are lazy and most have lost all compassion for lower classes on a societal scale. Newcomers flock to Orbis in search of a better life, agreeing to become indentured servants for the privilege. These newcomers are called Knudniks, and are treated as nothing more than property. Knudniks agree to serve four rotations of strictly enforced labor on each ring, naively believing that they will automatically escape their inferior status and thus become wealthy and powerful in an Orbisian, "enlightened" world. However, they soon discover that greed and corruption govern their society.
Orbis is governed by highly respected Keepers, i.e. two-headed aliens of great wisdom and power. They are considerably kinder than the Citizens and do not abuse their power. The Keepers affirm the agreements formed after the War of Ten Thousand Rotations, and they patiently await a return of the Ancients. The Keepers revere the Ancients, and hope for their reappearance to restore the Rings to a former state of enlightenment, despite a fact that the Ancients have not been seen for sixty thousand rotations. Also highly respected are Nagools, i.e. bizarre, spiritual beings who protect the teachings of the Ancients.
Banished from Orbis are the Space Jumpers, the protectors of the Keepers and the Rings. These mysterious beings have been absent from Orbis for so long that they are almost legendary among the Orbisians. Space Jumpers are greatly feared by Citizens, for Space Jumpers have an ability to "jump" through Space and Time. It is this combination of mystique and close affiliation with the Keepers that has brought about their exile.
It is also into this alien world of tenuous governmental rule, upper class greed, lower class oppression, and hope for the return of enlightenment that an unassuming, thirteen-year-old, human boy suddenly enters and sets into motion a change. Johnny T is the fulcrum for the future of an entire civilization.
Synopsis
''Virus on Orbis 1''
Virus on Orbis 1 introduces Johnny Turnbull, his sister Ketheria, and a group of orphaned children who are forced into slavery on the rings of Orbis. It opens on board Renaissance, a human seed ship where JT lives with 200 other children, orphaned in space. After their parents have died in sleepers, apparently due to a malfunction, the children are raised by a ship's computer known as Mother. JT's biggest problem is in dealing with Switzer, the ship's bully; otherwise, he lives a quiet and unassuming life watching over his mute sister, Ketheria...except, JT has one oddity: he communicates telepathically with Mother and claims to receive answers in return. JT always wonders what kind of fantastic world his parents once desired for a new home. Now, as Renaissance arrives at Orbis 1, he is going to find out.Orbis 1 seems wondrous. Yet the children are immediately shocked to learn that they will be expected to fulfill their parents' contract for their passage. Their freedom which they once enjoyed on the Renaissance is quickly reduced to slavery. Now their new "Guarantor", Boohral is a heartless Citizen. Intrigue builds. JT and the Orbisians soon learn that JT can enter computers with his mind, then later with his essence—that is, JT is a "softwire" and it is this use of telepathic computer-interaction which propels The Softwire series forward. Since the Orbisian Universe is run by an enormous, self-correcting, central computer, JT's gift is great cause for concern. Many Citizens aspire to possess him so that he can be used for their own gain. JT just wishes to be normal.
Unfortunately, the central computer begins to malfunction. Suspicion is immediately cast upon the young human softwire. JT is imprisoned. He remains there for scientific study until a breakout sets him on a journey inside the central computer. Meanwhile, the Keepers and the members of the Trading Council suspect one another of creating an Orbisian civil war. No one believes JT's claim that a being, living inside the computer – a virus – is responsible. As the situation spirals uncontrollably, the Keepers give JT a choice: life permanently inside the computer to avert the war, or death. Neither is acceptable.
JT gets his chance to seek his own solution when he is kidnapped by Madame Lee, the despicable head of the Trading Council. She needs JT in order to gain control of the central computer, to destroy the Keepers security on Orbis 1. Then she will march on Magna, the city of the Keepers, with her army of fishy Neewalkers. Meanwhile, she holds JT's sister prisoner, and threatens to kill Ketheria if JT does not do as Madame Lee commands.
Madame Lee spins an astonishing tale asserting that JT's father was a Space Jumper. She claims he tired of living in exile and despised the discord on the Rings of Orbis. She says he left for Earth to complete a final mission for the Trust – one that Madame Lee did not want fulfilled. She claims responsibility for the deaths of all the adults aboard the Renaissance.
JT refuses to accept that his father was anything other than human, and is filled with vengeance for his father's death. He formulates a plan to communicate with the virus to get her to help him warn the Keepers of Madame Lee's plans. But his plan is fraught with danger: if he is separated from his physical body for too long, his body will die and he will be condemned to live inside the computer for all eternity. JT finds the virus as she struggles for survival against the self-correcting central computer, and he works quickly to give her a translation codec, the means to save her from destruction by copying herself into a new destination. JT soon learns that the virus has been fighting Madame Lee's corrupt programming and the virus is a benign consciousness with a name – Vairocina. As soon as JT and Vairocina get through the Keeper's security portals to warn them of Madame Lee's army, JT and Vairocina find that Madame Lee is waiting with more vicious programs: one which contains Madame Lee herself and her scheme is to control all of Orbis by controlling the central computer. Suddenly JT must battle monstrous digital soldiers, gaining power by losing connection with his physical form. He rips Madame Lee's essence from her program and she is systematically dismantled and sent to the trash. In the end, JT narrowly escapes death, and gains an important ally in a new friend: Vairocina.
Throughout his ordeal, JT questions the decisions made by his parents whom he never knew. Yet he holds onto a positive spirit as he contemplates the significance of the Rings of Orbis: a strange civilization beyond the security of the seed ship which he left behind.
Image:RingsofOrbis-ss2.jpg|left|thumb|Although The Softwire is not illustrated, a representation of a honine is depicted here from the game . PJ Haarsma and Redbear Films, Inc.|100px