THE DATASTREAM DRAUGHT

The Northwood Seven: Book 6

By: Donald Beavers

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

One more level. One more raid. One more energy drink. In a world of endless feeds and infinite quests, where do you draw the line?

For Liam Hansen, the line is a blur.

By day, he’s a brilliant IT technician at Northwood General, the silent hero who keeps the hospital's life-saving systems online. By night, he’s a legendary tactical coordinator in the sprawling universe of an online game, a digital god among mere players.

Fueled by a constant datastream of caffeine and junk food, he masterfully juggles network alerts and dragon attacks, believing he has achieved ultimate efficiency. But the feast of pixels and possibility carries a hidden cost. As Liam’s digital world flourishes, his real one begins to crumble. Crumpled wrappers pile up like trophies of neglect. Urgent work updates are dismissed in favor of guild strategy. His health frays, and the trust of his colleagues wears thin. The small compromises, the rationalizations, the little white lies to himself—they are all accumulating interest.

When a critical security patch is ignored for one last glorious gaming session, the bill comes due. A devastating ransomware attack plunges the hospital into chaos, encrypting years of patient data and putting lives in the balance. The very systems Liam was sworn to protect have become a trap, and he is the one who left the gate wide open. The Datastream Draught is a razor-sharp and deeply compassionate novel about the hidden costs of our always-on culture.

It's a gripping, character-driven story of how the seductive glow of a screen can obscure the precipice of personal and professional ruin. Weaving timeless fables into a stunningly contemporary narrative, this book is a powerful look at addiction, accountability, and the long road to finding true nourishment in a world starving for connection.

As one man faces the collapse of his world, this novel sets the stage for the next gripping installment of the series, proving that the seductive feast of obsession is always waiting for a new guest. Perfect for readers of Dave Eggers' The Circle and anyone who has ever felt the pull of "just one more."