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Back The Singularity Trap Save as PDF
Chapters (90)
  1. Glossary of Acronyms
  2. Cast of Characters
  3. 1.Emissary
  4. 2.Launch
  5. 3.Financial Concerns
  6. 4.Departure
  7. 5.Being an Asteroid Miner
  8. 6.Trying Another Location
  9. 7.Tallying Results
  10. 8.Paydirt
  11. 9.Checking it Out
  12. 10.Infection
  13. 11.Recovery
  14. 12.Investigation
  15. 13.Situation Analysis
  16. 14.Adverse Reaction
  17. 15.Deja Vu
  18. 16.We’ll Handle It
  19. 17.Continuing Infection
  20. 18.Strategy Meeting
  21. 19.Writing Home
  22. 20.ICDC
  23. 21.A Difficult Conversation
  24. 22.Consternation
  25. 23.The Chrome Man
  26. 24.The Way Things Must Be
  27. 25.Crew Reaction
  28. 26.In the Common Room
  29. 27.Most Paranoid Wins
  30. 28.Taking Courses
  31. 29.Arrival
  32. 30.Quarantine
  33. 31.First Looks
  34. 32.Status
  35. 33.Looking Over His Shoulder
  36. 34.Unrest
  37. 35.Screaming
  38. 36.Discussion
  39. 37.Enemy Threats
  40. 38.Investigations and Discoveries
  41. 39.The Continued Threat
  42. 40.It Hits The Fan
  43. 41.Putting It in Perspective
  44. 42.In the News
  45. 43.Reconsiderations
  46. 44.Interlude
  47. 45.Retrieval
  48. 46.Press Release
  49. 47.Anomalies
  50. 48.Finally
  51. 49.More News
  52. 50.Summary of Findings
  53. 51.Discharge Day
  54. 52.Release
  55. 53.Unbelievable
  56. 54.Demands
  57. 55.It’s Moving
  58. 56.Failsafe Implementation
  59. 57.Escape
  60. 58.Detonation
  61. 59.Finding Refuge
  62. 60.Calling with News
  63. 61.Vessel Released
  64. 62.An Unexpected Call
  65. 63.Purchase
  66. 64.Reports of My Death
  67. 65.Humanity’s Options
  68. 66.Naval Exercise
  69. 67.Strike Force
  70. 68.Counterstrike
  71. 69.Collateral Damage
  72. 70.Arrest
  73. 71.Visiting
  74. 72.Preparations
  75. 73.Second Assault
  76. 74.Reconfiguration
  77. 75.Waiting for The End
  78. 76.Defensive Strategy
  79. 77.Surveil
  80. 78.Approach
  81. 79.Attack
  82. 80.Response
  83. 81.Found
  84. 82.Discussion
  85. 83.Reaction
  86. 84.Face-Off
  87. 85.Aftermath
  88. 86.Conversation
  89. 87.Funeral
  90. 88.Coda

Not for the first time, Moore wondered if the ICDC was really the right agency to be running this show.

“I saw my boss’s response on Vid,” Narang continued. “And I’d agree that it’s nothing but a stalling tactic. Someone will have to release an official statement, and I understand that we should cooperate. I’m just not sure we have anything of substance, yet.”

“Fair enough, Doctor. Then let’s see what your crew can put together that won’t metaphorically throw gasoline on the fire.”

“Have you ever even seen gasoline, Admiral?”

Moore smiled as he stood to leave. “Clichés die hard, Doctor.”

33.Looking Over His Shoulder

33.Looking Over His Shoulder

Ivan kept glancing around his room. It was odd, but he felt like he wasn’t alone. Clearly, he was, but the feeling wouldn’t go away that someone was in the room with him. It was creepy. And the baby bear kept popping up in his mind. But now there were also images of strange, unfamiliar creatures, always in chrome.

So, possibilities. One, he was losing his mind. Maybe the conversion wasn’t perfect, and he was unraveling. Or maybe the conversion was fine, and he was just unraveling all on his own. Or, two, the isolation was getting to him. Well, that was just 1B, really. Okay, two, something or someone actually was watching him. Of course, the surveillance camera up in the ceiling was an obvious candidate, but this was more than just that. Was something in his head with him? The creep factor would be off the charts, in that case.

There were other weird things as well. He’d found himself on several occasions turning on the Vid without meaning to. One time, he’d spontaneously re-opened his astronomy course notes, and turned to a picture of the Briggs Farside Radio Telescope Array. Well, okay, it was impressive, but so what?

Ivan glanced up at the surveillance camera. He still wasn’t entirely comfortable with not mentioning any of this. After all, he wasn’t a prisoner, technically, and this wasn’t an adversarial situation. And Captain Jennings’s tactic with the lawyers ensured that Ivan could expect full UEN citizenship protections.

Still…

It was lonely in quarantine. The doctors were all business. Calls to the rest of the crew tended to be, well, stiff was the kindest word Ivan could think of. Seth tried more than most, but even he was unsure how to deal with the chrome man.