The Pattern Universe

Zeke is a homeless guy with an exotic metal plate in his head, living rough in a backstreet. Zirkos is an alien who needs the plate to rebuild his ship's AI. Zirkos should just take the plate and go, but instead finds a way of achieving his own ends without harming Zeke. His actions kickstart a chain of events that will dramatically change the course of Earth's future. The Nubl are an artificial space-faring race with a 'hive' intellect who abhor biological sentience. They will eradicate humanity with extreme prejudice.

Humanity has managed to develop its fledgling World Space Council, but it's still far from being effective, and there are those who do not want it to succeed at all. Meanwhile, the alien AI, Pod, is the only thing standing between them and those intent on eradicating all biological sentience within the galaxy. It's almost too much for the tiny escape pod that has been left in charge of Earth's safety.

As the post-attack chaos forces Earth's governments to realize they no longer have the ability to maintain order, the destiny of mankind falls to a select group of human and artificial intelligence to prepare a defense against annihilation by the Nubl hives.