This novella is available free online from two sources:
Infinite Matrix ezine: http://www.infinitematrix.net/stories/shorts/appeals_court.html
manybooks.com: http://manybooks.net/titles/strosscother06appealscourt.html
Although there are references
to the technology singularity, apparently, this story mostly involves people
who are living non-singularity lives. Even our central characters that have
some more modern tech arrive in Charleston via a zeppelin. Charleston is part
of a fundamentalist Christian domain which opposes some high tech (although
they do have some surface-to-air missiles intended to keep out the godless and
some other tech of a similar level). Huw and Bonnie have been sent there in
hopes of influencing the region. The particulars of what they are expected to
do are vague, and Huw acts as if he has less of an idea than Bonnie. (There are
some references to Huw having “godvomit” in him.) They are accompanied by a
teapot containing an AI (?), Adrian, to assist (?) them. However, Adrian may be involved in some questionable activities.
The Eastern US's land is
dominated by a super-colony of mutant red ants. They devour people, animals,
buildings, vehicles and various other things – if they’re not properly
armored. Cities have to be in armored domes with elaborate airlock entrances.
Bio-engineered trees that produce petroleum are also widespread. The
fundamentalists believe God intended people to burn fossil fuels. They also assume
anyone arriving by air is evil.
When landing, Huw is injured
and finds himself with a fundamentalist (?) doctor - who coerces Huw to go to Glory City, the central religious city of the southern fundamentalists. They like to
execute “sinners” there. The doctor talks about his efforts to stop the threat
posed by alien bats from space. Bonnie has disappeared.
In Glory City, Huw runs into a strange dissident theology - in which artificial genitals hide real
genitals, making free sex un-sinful as long as you don't use the real body
parts. Huw experiences a series of confrontations involving fundamentalists,
the doctor's son, a Libyan judge pursuing Huw for activities in Libya, the ants, the bishop of the artificial sex church and the singularity mind which is
trying to connect with the ants. And Bonnie reappears now and then to
participate in some of the conflicts.
It's a wild, farcical roller coaster ride through a bizarre future.