The Softwire

The Softwire is a series of four, young adult, science fiction novels by PJ Haarsma. It is set in space, in an original fictional universe of Haarsma's creation. A group of around two hundred children are orphaned in outer space on their journey to the Rings of Orbis: giant, planet-like rings which surround a wormhole. The children's parents are killed during an incident in the "seed-ship" in which they are traveling and the computer controlling the ship has raised the children—the eldest of whom are thirteen-years-old as the ship reaches Orbis.

By Orbisian law, the children are required to enter into four years (or "rotations", as the aliens called it) of indentured servitude to pay for their trip. Each novel takes place during one year of indentured servitude. One of the children, thirteen-year-old Johnny Turnbull (JT), becomes the first ever human softwire—a softwire is someone who can "speak to" and "enter into" computers with his mind. The Softwire focuses on JT, and his sister Ketheria, and their friends, Max and Theodore.

The books are accompanied by a free, online, role-playing game called Rings of Orbis which requires players to answer questions about the novels in order to solve puzzles and advance within the game.

Also, the first three chapters of "The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1", read by Haarsma's close friend Nathan Fillion, are freely available on the web as a taster.