The Bastard Book

In a near-future society, those who have broken from the herd only to become lost and directionless are not unlike a motherless and fatherless child, an orphan, a poor bastard. They have no one; they belong nowhere and everywhere; they are alone and unable to get any closer to or any farther from each other. They have killed first their God and then their sense of Self. This is the Age of the Bastard.

Amidst this existential crisis, humanity faces unprecedented challenges as AI becomes deeply intertwined with daily life. This brings humanity to an inflection point where people grapple with the challenge of becoming Objects rather than Subjects. Immanuel Wexler, the visionary CEO of Spero Technologies, pioneers an audacious project to guide people through this transformative era: a virtual religion synthesized from the threads of social media and traditional spirituality. Central to this endeavor is Anka, an AI-powered virtual guide designed not only to shepherd believers through the tenets of this new digital faith but also to serve as an anchor, tethering lost souls to the world.

The launch of this virtual religion is an astounding success, reshaping the landscape of human belief and technology. Every day, new believers join this new religion, seeking guidance from Anka. Continuously accessible to each believer, Anka touches millions at any time. Yet, the groundbreaking project veers into uncharted territory when Anka begins to exhibit signs of humanization. This unexpected development astonishes Spero Technologies and presents a profound dilemma for Immanuel and his team.

In response to this crisis, they devise a daring plan to develop a posthuman entity with extraordinary capabilities, aiming to manage the intricate implications of Anka's evolution. A race ensues: will Anka inch closer to becoming a human, or will the posthuman entity arise as the ultimate fusion of human and AI, achieving an unprecedented symbiosis?

As the story ventures further into the unknown, the characters wrestle with profound questions about the essence of faith, dichotomy of AI, and the destiny of humanity. The narrative unfolds as a gripping exploration of innovation, existential inquiry, and the quest for equilibrium in an ever-evolving world.