The Imperium Game

Kerickson was the main programmer of the Imperium Game, a three-dimensional recreation of the Roman Empire, complete with a slave market, public baths, gladiatorial combat, and a pantheon of ingeniously programmed deities. The Game was incredibly popular, exciting, and flawless–or so it seemed, until the god programs unexpectedly began to exceed their parameters. Suddenly, the Game was out of control. The gods ran rampant, life became violent and chaotic, the Roman emperor turned up dead–for real--and Kerickson was the prime suspect. Pursued by a policeman convinced of his guilt, Kerickson fled into the increasingly dangerous world of the Game. Now a lowly gladiator trainee, Kerickson must find the identity of the true murderer, and quick–because if the authorities don't get him, the gods surely will.