Tenth anniversary omnibus collects the first five books of the EarthCent Ambassador series. Get on board with Union Station's vibrant mix of cultures, technological wonders, and hilarious interspecies misunderstandings. Each book is a standalone adventure, packed with humor, heart, and optimism for humanity’s future. Book One Alien artificial intelligence has brought humanity onto a galactic tunnel network Finding a match for the top human diplomat on Union Station is another story... Kelly Frank is EarthCent's top diplomat on Union Station, but her job description has always been a bit vague. The pay is horrible and she's in hock up to her ears for her furniture, which is likely to end up in a corridor because she's behind on rent for her room. Sometimes she has to wonder if the career she has put ahead of her personal life for fifteen years is worth it. When Kelly receives a gift subscription to the dating service that's rumored to be powered by the same benevolent artificial intelligence that runs the huge station, she decides to swallow her pride and give it a shot. But as her dates go from bad to worse, she can only hope that the supposedly omniscient AI is planning a happy ending. Book Two The alien diplomats are finally willing to talk to the ambassador. They must want something. Five years after her promotion, Kelly has settled into married life and her job as the EarthCent ambassador. The only fly in the ointment is that most of the aliens on Union Station refuse to talk to her. But a mysterious new game is sweeping the galaxy, changing the balance of power between species and bringing game-savvy humans front-and-center. As the invitations to diplomatic functions pour in, Kelly finds herself struggling to understand exactly what's going on, not to mention finding babysitters on short notice. Fortunately, diplomats and alcohol go together like, well, diplomats and alcohol, and Joe has started micro-brewery business in Mac's Bones. The only thing left that could go wrong is a visit from her mother. Book Three A wealthy alien species is getting rid of all their stuff. There's only one catch. Two years after the events of Alien Night on Union Station, Kelly faces new challenges as the EarthCent Ambassador. The growing acceptance of humans by their alien neighbors plus a measure of her own personal fame (or infamy) is resulting in too much work for an embassy with only two full-time staffers. Friends and family must wonder if the stress is finally getting to Kelly when she starts acting even more peculiar than usual. Just leave it to the Stryx to throw a monkey wrench in the works by offering her a vital new assignment that can't be refused. Book Four Humanity needs a galactic intelligence agency, but where to start? The story picks up less than a year after the events of High Priest on Union Station, with Kelly coming to the conclusion that EarthCent needs an intelligence service. Of course, EarthCent has no institutional knowledge of what spies do, or how they work, so the new agency gets off to a slow start. Then Kelly and the Union Station crew come up with a brilliant idea. Book Five It's time for a friendly competition, and every species picks its own event. The first carnival to take place on Union Station since humanity joined the galactic community is coming, and the ambassadors of the different species are all entered in the election to become Carnival King or Queen. It’s not a job that Kelly wants, and fortunately for her, the humans get a late start at electioneering. The cloned species known as the Gem are held in even lower regard than humans, but maybe carnival will give them a chance to redeem themselves - or themself:-)

The universe has plans for Kelly and Joe, if only it can put them on the same space station at the same time. Kelly Frank is a junior employee in Earth's diplomatic service who's sick and tired of cleaning up after human tourists behaving badly. Joe McAllister is a reluctant mercenary who's looking for a way out and family-friendly place to start a business and raise an orphaned boy. Will the choices they make in the next few months shape the rest of their lives, or is free will just an illusion in a galaxy managed by ancient artificial intelligence?

Side elevations

Union Station Omnibus: Books 11 - 15. Humanity remains upright, thanks to training wheels, but it's time to start balancing on our own. Book Eleven Is humanity ready to take off the training wheels, and will the ancient alien A. I. approve? Book Twelve Family is a serious matter to the tunnel network species, and they aren't fooling around. Book Thirteen You can't hold a book fair without physical books. Every species has its own version. Book Fourteen The biggest interspecies business is entertainment, and role playing is making a comeback. Book Fifteen Forget about the post-employment future. Everybody works, nobody quits.