Start reading Virtual Eternity here.
This is the Table of Contents (links) for the serialized version of the novel, Virtual Eternity: An Epic 90s Retro Florida Techo-Pro-Life Love Story and Conversion Journey. These 52 episodes are presented here free for you. You can buy the paperback version from Mike Church’s Crusade Channel Store, or at Amazon.
A brief summary of the story follows the links to each episode below.
Part I: Truth
Chapter 1(A): Reality – Eternal: In which Jonathan seeks to know the nature of the most authentic and true reality, by means of sensing it and by perceiving it
(1) The Last Night at College: Discovering Jonathan’s sister was aborted and that he could live
Chapter 1(B): Reality – Analogous: In which Jonathan seeks to know the unchanging and eternal perfect essences, by means of perceiving them and conceptualizing them by analogy
(2) The Onboarding: Starting and stopping the return to Meredith
(3) The First Meetings: Accessing the corporate secret, Magic Theater
(4) The Happy Hour Part One: Mingling and flirting with Lana
(5) The Happy Hour Part Two: Analyzing the man
(6) The Happy Hour Part Three: Winning the first battle
Chapter 2(A): Purpose – Create: In which Jonathan seeks to know the purpose of the Holy Trinity (and humans), by means of conceptualizing It by analogy and by humbling himself
(7) The Department Strategy Meeting: Strategizing Magic Theater market penetration
(8) The Career Advice from Lana: Building corporate performance
(9) The Secret Flagship Product: Playing Magic Theater
(10) The Breakup and Makeup: Retaining sanity and Lana
(11) The Access Handoff: Giving the keys to Kevin
(12) The Saturday Morning Brunch: Philosophizing with Lana and Maureen
(13) The Last Walk on the Beach: Ending and capturing "it"
(14) The Poolside: Drinking with Kevin
(15) The Stormy Tournament: Golfing with the Executives
(16) The Simulated Afterlife: Presenting the Marketing Plan
(17) The Surprise Deaths Numbers One and Two: Mourning such losses
(18) The Surprise Death Number Three: Reuniting with Meredith
(19) The Barhopping: Finding more perfects at Miami Beach
(20) The Music Festival Part One: Searching for Mike
(21) The Music Festival Part Two: Searching for more perfects
Chapter 2(B): Purpose – Design: In which Jonathan seeks to know the design ordained by the Holy Trinity for humans, by means of humbling himself and by imitating It
(22) The Cafes and Bars: Capturing Beauty
(23) The Phase 3 Magic Theater: Planning on the fly
(24) The Herald: Meeting Greeley
(25) The Holiday Gala Part One: Getting to Lana
(26) The Holiday Gala Part Two: Capturing yet another perfect
(27) The Date with Winnie: Revealing who was captured
Chapter 3: Perspective – Revealed: In which Jonathan seeks to know the Holy Trinity, by means of imitating It and accepting Its revelations
(28) The Crossed-Paths: Searching for the Art Thief
(29) The Call-Outs: Growing in Love
(30) The Great Disappointment: Ending Mike’s secret
(31) The Holidays: Courting Maureen
(32) The Medical Library Research Part One: Harvesting cells
(33) The Medical Library Research Part Two: Extracting cells
(34) The Medical Library Research Part Three: Killing babies
(35) The Marriage and Departure: Starting a new life
Part II: Temptations
Chapter 1: Power over Others – By Abundance: In which Jonathan’s new conviction about DESIGNED PURPOSE is challenged by the modern temptation to wield human-defined pervasive power over others’ thoughts and actions, which allows us to easily overcome our unrelenting fear of being disregarded or humiliated in this world
(36) The Chicago Gaming Trade Show Part One
(37) The Chicago Gaming Trade Show Part Two
(38) The Chicago Gaming Trade Show Part Three
Chapter 2: Power over Others – By Knowledge: In which Jonathan’s new conviction about ANALOGOUS REALITY is challenged by the modern temptation to wield knowledge of the secrets of human spirit and progress, which allows us to easily overcome our unrelenting fear of not pleasing others here
(39) The Minneapolis Research Center
Chapter 3: Power over the World - By Knowledge: In which Jonathan’s new conviction about CREATIVE PURPOSE is challenged by the modern temptation to wield human-centered knowledge about how the world works and why, which allows us to easily overcome our unrelenting fear of things not succeeding as we wish
(40) The Iowa Commune
Chapter 4: Power over the World – By Abundance: In which Jonathan’s new conviction about REVEALED PERSPECTIVE is challenged by the modern temptation to wield power to fully experience human bodily fulfillment, which allows us to easily overcome our unrelenting fear of lacking comfort and pleasure
(41) The Minneapolis Hotel Part One
(42) The Minneapolis Hotel Part Two
Chapter 5: Power over Death – In this World: In which Jonathan’s new convictions about ETERNAL REALITY are challenged by the modern temptation to seize the experience of life in this world, which allows us to easily overcome our unrelenting fear of dying and losing the love and epiphanies of earthly life
(43) The Truck
Chapter 6: Power over Death – In the Next Word: In which Jonathan’s new convictions about TRUTH are challenged by the modern temptation to hold the notion of universal salvation, which allows us to easily reject our fear of eternal separation from God
(44) The Den of Curcio Part One
(45) The Den of Curcio Part Two
Chapter 7: Power over God: In which Jonathan’s new convictions about TRUTH are challenged by the modern temptation to wield power over our eternal fate, which allows us to deceive ourselves on the extent of our own sovereignty
(46) The Wide Path
PART III
MERCY
Chapter 1: Heaven and Hell
(47) The Elysian Fields Part One: Olson
(48) The Elysian Fields Part Two: Babies
(49) Hell
(50) Graces
(51) Heaven
Chapter 2: Earth
(52) The End
Summary:
Jonathan and Maureen are 24-year-olds struggling with religion, sexuality, and hypnotic virtual reality games.
Maureen is a lukewarm, lifelong Catholic, trying to keep her vow of virginity despite a domineering fiancé.
Jonathan is an agnostic womanizer. His conversion story starts when he learns his parents aborted his sister for her kidney cells: he was born instead. At his new career near Miami, a beautiful executive, Lana, seduces him. Lana controls access to Magic Theater, the mysterious games Jonathan tests.
Jonathan’s search for authentic reality and purpose intensifies as he explores girls, 90s culture, corporate boardrooms, and Catholicism. His journey shifts to the wintry north, through temptations like an erotic ex-lover, his ominous mentor, and the wide gate to eternity. Eventually, his story intersects with Maureen’s in a profound way.
Virtual Eternity weaves together two transformation stories, combining vivid characters, romance, technological conspiracy, and religious journeys. Meanwhile, heavenly guides drive Jonathan and Maureen toward conversion, as a powerful new virtual reality game seizes the nation.
Christopher Rogers is the author of the novel Virtual Eternity: An Epic 90s-Retro Florida Techno Pro-life Love Story and Conversion Journey, which dramatizes a story about the Catholic conversion of two twenty-somethings in the 90s, interleaving a story about love, hookups, corporate and social culture in the 90s, technical intrigue, and a journey to the Holy Trinity. The novel is available here, at the Catholic Corner, which is on Mike Church's Crusade Channel website or any other major online bookseller. “Virtual Eternity is a contemporary fiction written by Christopher Rogers that I read and fell in love with. Its rare to find a book that treats of our modern hook-up culture and then honors its antithesis: Sacramental marriage. Rogers does this while weaving his characters through a Big-Tech thriller. Christian readers will appreciate this work as entertainment, done right.” – Mike Church Virtual Eternity is also available in serialized form for free; start reading here.
Christopher is married and has helped raise a family of three children, while also working as a human factors engineer and project manager in the fields of healthcare, intelligence, military, aerospace, and manufacturing. He has Master’s degrees in Humanities (Houston-Clear Lake) and Industrial Engineering (Auburn). Christopher belongs to the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order. He is also the author of the novel Dumb College: A Story about the Decline of Western Civilization.
