What will you do if you inherit a powerful alien technology?

When rumors of an alien ship spread online, Anton "Tony" Segerstrom thinks it is all a prank…until it appears above his college campus. At that moment, Tony is selected to inherit the aliens' Forerunner technology. In one day, Tony becomes the most powerful man on Earth--Prized. Adulated. Feared. Hunted. Hated.

The only catch: Pledge allegiance to Earth's secret benefactors and join them against a more sinister threat beyond the stars. Refuse, and humanity will face the galactic war alone and defenseless.

But the galaxy is a grueling and deadly place, and to stay alive, Tony must inherit a dangerous throne and build a legacy to protect his home and everyone he loves.

Set in present-day Earth, Imperium Rising is an empire-building, scifi adventure told in first-person POV (Some chapters--the interludes--are written in the 3rd-person from other people's POV). This is not isekai or litRPG.

What to expect: Our MC becomes an emperor/representative of Earth and must build his nation from the ground up, fighting (and managing) other factions/governments from within Earth and across the galaxy. There's plenty of political intrigue, action set-pieces, space exploration, and slice-of-life drama.

Fair Warning: The male MC is gay and slightly overpowered (due to tech enhancements). I wanted to write a male lead who is queer in a sweeping space opera epic. I notice there aren't a lot of MCs like that, so enjoy!

Update Schedule: Tuesdays & Fridays (2.5-3k/chapter). Thank you for reading!

[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] - updates will be Mondays to Fridays until May 5th (end of Writathon)