Technology Shapes Love

I love technology because it makes our lives better (except when it’s misbehaving). Technology is great for keeping us connected, but it also creates new challenges and opportunities. Let’s look at how future technology shapes love in my Central Galactic Concordance space opera romance series.

Technology to Connect

We’re all connected, right? A quick text or a video call, and we’re practically in the same room as someone across the world. Now imagine that world is a planet light-years away. In the far-future CGC universe, that’s reality. The CGC uses a network of synchronous communication nodes. This allows for nearly instant intergalactic communication. You can send hourly love notes to your partner, even if they’re light-years away. And if you can afford it, schedule a live 3-D hologram call just to wish them happy birthday.

But this technology isn’t without its challenges. In Last Ship Off Polaris-G, ships traveling faster than light can’t access the system. This created a crisis for the heroes. Also, as the heroes of Overload Flux discover, there’s always the potential for sabotage. Instant connection is wonderful, but it can also make you vulnerable.

Going Places with Technology

Forget traffic jams. In the CGC, autocabs are the norm. Airborne vehicles whisk you from place to place, piloted by smart AI and guided by the planet’s traffic control system. For those who want safety and privacy, autocabs are the way to go. Most larger cities have plenty of public transit options. But if you want a more private experience, autocabs deliver.

Personal vehicles are also an option, especially in rural areas. In Overload Flux, the hero and heroine get some much-needed, uninterrupted time together in a ground vehicle because, in their city, using the traffic control system is optional. As a result, daily traffic is legendary for how bad it is. Transportation is essential for love and adventure, whether you’re taking a son for a test, as the heroine does in Minder Rising, transporting a pet to the vet, as in Pet Trade, or enjoying yourself on vacation, like the hero intends to do in Pico’s Crush.

Love A Good Time?

What’s a good time in the CGC? Often, it involves a drink. The galaxy’s 500+ settled planets offer a huge variety of food and drink. This includes chems and alterants. Think stimulants, mellowers, and, yes, alcoholic beverages. The legal ones are available at most pubs and bars. Coffee, espresso, kaffa, and kelasa are popular mild stimulants. Drinkable chems and alterants include Blue Ruin and a “Suborbital Blitz.”

Socializing often happens these places. The hero and heroine of Minder Rising met in a hotel pub. She was a licensed pubtender and single mother and he was a long-stay guest, recovering from a near-fatal accident.

Of course, because we’re talking about humans, there are illegal substances, too. As the characters in Jumper’s Hope found out, these can have serious consequences. Imagine if the medic treating you after a flitter crash is high as a kite…

From instant communication to exciting social scenes, technology shapes love and life in the CGC. It connects us across the vastness of space, yet also creates new challenges. Ready to explore space opera adventure in a galaxy where technology — and love — reign? Discover the worlds of the Central Galactic Concordance!