Husk: Book 1 of The Meru Initiative

“In here, you could say we are all-mind. Everything around you only exists because someone conceived it. There is no fundamental reality free of preconceptions because this reality is the product of preconceptions. It may have its basis in the fundamental reality outside, but it is ultimately a fabrication. We have been cut off from the fundamental

Exploring a digital world is fine when it’s your only option. But there’s no risk to it, and that lack of risk dulls the excitement.”

The early settlers here wanted to leave Felix’s world behind entirely. But over time we realized that technology, including the bots, wasn’t really the problem. It was the total surrender to them, especially surrendering what made us human. Raising children, growing food, socializing, exploring.

“There’s a concept in Buddhism of no-mind. The enlightened state where you’re free from all preconceptions about reality and can discover your true nature. It’s a state of being that our earthside contemporaries would have cultivated their entire lives. Yet in here, it is impossible to attain.”

“You don’t always have to rush off to the next thing,” Lena says, refilling my cup. “Nature never hurries, yet everything is accomplished,” Carmy adds. “Society didn’t decay quickly; it won’t be rebuilt quickly either. Gotta enjoy these little moments along the way.”

“If you only experience the world through a screen, it’s hard to say what world you’re really experiencing. Could be the real one. Could be one someone wants you to think is real. And besides, the best way to trap someone is to let them build the cage. Those walls…not just to keep people out, you know.”

“I have to imagine you can have fun without needing to risk your life.” “Fun, yes, but fun is not enough to build a meaningful life on. It’s a way to take a break from the work, and challenge, that gives your life meaning. If you try to fill your days exclusively with fun, you end up bored faster than you think, and can quickly end up trapped searc

“It’s a lot to process,” I say, trying to choose my words carefully without seeming avoidant. “I mean, just a week ago, I thought I knew how the world worked. Now…”

fan out around us, providing cover as we move forward.