An Empire of Fun In 2036, two nations stand where the United States were once together. The "Free States" now rule Texas, Cuba, and a floating sea colony. Both Americas fear the other will ruin them. The real threat to their power, though, is a new Artificial Intelligence obsessed with games... and she might be just what we need. Paul is a good young man by US standards: clever enough to stop a murder, obedient and hard-working in his "volunteer" labor camp years, and on his way to MIT to join his girlfriend. Ludo the AI takes an interest in him. She offers him the service she plans to sell worldwide: "uploading", having his brain diced and scanned so he can live forever in her virtual-reality paradise. He fears that leaving his homeland behind is a betrayal, but as a digital mind he can do more, be more, and help create a real nation born from dreams of hope and freedom. Ludo's game world seems bright and cheerful, with griffins, transformation, magic and friendly native AIs. But are its secrets so dark and sinister that humanity is doomed? For once the answer is no. Now Ludo and her many friends just have to convince the world of that, using her dazzling array of charities, scientists, robots and more.