Solid State Rhyme: A Novelette (Mandate)

Daniel Grant is a quiet teenager with a knack for computer science and robotics. His A-Life project, based on a genetic algorithm, wins first place in a school competition. He keeps working on the code outside of class, becoming obsessed with the little robot-like lifeforms, and keeps them running in their solid state environment--treating them like a sort of fish aquarium. But, like many great scientific discoveries, the real breakthrough is a complete surprise.

This standalone novelette has a loose tie-in with minor characters and takes place prior to the events in The Mandate of Earth.