They can have heaven, but some don't want to go. Mankind has largely retreated to the realms of virtual reality, where resources are unlimited and the problems of the world can all be avoided. Unfortunately, those who stay behind in the real world pose the only risk to the immortality of those who have converted to virtual existence. Derek, a soldier in the Conversion Forces (ConFoes), seeks to enforce the Mandatory Conversion Act on the remaining mals (malcontent Luddites, gangbangers, and religious fanatics). He is forced to deal with the increasingly brutal tactics of the ConFoes, and a mal ambush. Escaping the attack on his squad, Derek tries to return to ConFoe HQ. In his travels, he encounters a clueless old hermit who doesn't want to choose between conversion and death, a female Lieutenant from a mal religious faction who questions the theological implications of conversion, and a group of scientists still trying desperately to finish up their research in the real world. In addition, the ConFoes unknowingly trigger a holy march on the secure site housing the computers in which the rest of humanity blithely exists in virtual reality. When Moore's Law meets God's Law, the result is Forced Conversion.
Donald J. Bingle lives in St. Charles, Illinois. This is his first published novel. (20021201)
