Divergence - Hardcover

by David Melde (Author)

In a future where rising seas have claimed coastal cities and consciousness can be digitally transferred, David Schreiner undergoes a neurocloning procedure that creates a digital copy of his mind. While the original David remains on Earth with his wife Amy, his neuroclone, who names himself "Go David", embarks on a thirteen-hundred-year journey aboard the starship Paradise, headed for the stellar nurseries of Orion.

As Paradise travels farther from Earth, Go David struggles with his evolving identity, caught between the memories of a life he shared with Amy and the new experiences that are uniquely his own. Alongside Temper Tom, the neuroclone of his oldest friend, Go David navigates the challenges of captaining Paradise and its two million digital colonists. With each passing day, he grows more distinct from his original self, embracing new passions, forging new relationships, and discovering what it means to be a copy becoming an original.

The story culminates as Paradise approaches Point Alpha, the threshold beyond which consciousness transfer becomes impossible, permanently severing Go David's connection to Earth. As this final separation looms, Go David must reconcile his past with his future, accepting that while he carries David's memories and love for Amy, his path now leads to distant stars.