A Time to Stand

"Reality is created by the mind, we can change our reality by changing our mind." Plato

A Time to Stand is the last book of the SOUP trilogy. A triad of senior government officials wants the capabilities demonstrated by the SOUP's escaped inmates used to resolve the Taiwan Straits incident. The United States Vice President, acting as a member of the Virtual Life Incarceration Program (VLIP) governance committee, sees the value provided by these criminals as critical to National Security and Intelligence collection. Along with other top administration officials, the Vice President convinces the President to sign a classified Presidential Directive moving the VLIP from the Justice Department to the Central Intelligence Agency. The Supervisor realizes the risks of unleashing the unknown power created accidentally by the SOUP's technology. She and her team oppose the directive and the presidential authority to subsume her program for power and political gain. Each side, believing they are right, pushes for its goals without understanding the consequences of its actions and the impact on the human experience. A Time to Stand paints a contemporary picture of human conflict fueled by the desire to control unknown powers, and the realization that every action has consequences.