The earliest virtual worlds were created by kids playing around and looking for something fun to do. They had no connection with other humans and were distributed by literally pinning them to public bulletin boards. Copies were free or cheap and their graphics were made out of letters and symbols. Players used their imaginations, often edited them to create new games, and their use spread like wildfire. They changed computers forever.
The Liberator was the first new class of support ship fielded in The War. Built by the Cybernetic Families, it was the fastest support ship of the time, able to keep up with warships at maximum acceleration, and the Cowboys soon began to use the more powerful Privateer variant more than any other ship. After The War, they remain in service with Cyberdyne Transtellar Shipping and the Cowboys, though all ships are officially titled to Cyberdyne so the Cowboys can maintain their privacy. Liberators can be seen everywhere cargo flows in known space.
World War II in Asia is mostly about the march of American Marines across the Pacific in Western eyes. The Battles of Midway and Coral Sea are taught to our children. But we rarely look at the land war in Asia because we weren’t heavily involved. What most don’t know is that thirty-five million people died in Asia, victims of the literally genocidal conflict between Japan, China, and India. The entire region was devastated almost beyond the capability of rebuilding.
The days of the small American military ended when the Shang brought down Yosemite Yards. I was one of those new volunteers. I remember they talked about the draft back then, but after seeing the number of people volunteering those talks ended real quick. America may not be full of people that enjoy being in the military, but we are full of people perfectly happy to bust someone up if they come trolling in our neck of the woods. And the Shang were real good trolls.
There are many virtual worlds running in time with the physical world that most people see. Second Life is the longest continually running virtual world, dating back to the turn of the millennium, and thousands more have come and gone over the centuries. Fantasy, historical, futuristic, and alternate reality worlds are most common, while many enterprising individuals have made fortunes by creating exact virtual copies of physical locations and opening them to the public.
The Martian Affair on Amazon
Forge of War on Amazon
The Audacious Affair on Amazon
Angel Flight on Amazon
Angel Strike on Amazon
Angel War on Amazon
The Family Affair on Amazon
The Thunderbird Affair on Amazon
Wolfenheim Rising on Amazon
Wolfenheim Emergent on Amazon
The Gemini Affair on Amazon