The Spreading Fire Read online

  THE SPREADING FIRE

  SENTIENCE WARS: SOLAR WAR ONE

  BOOK 2

  BY JAMES S. AARON

  & M. D. COOPER

  Just in Time (JIT) & Beta Readers

  Copyright © 2019 James S. Aaron & M. D. Cooper

  Aeon 14 is Copyright © 2019 M. D. Cooper

  Version 1.0

  Cover Art by Andrew Dobell

  Editing by Jen McDonnell, Bird’s Eye Books

  Aeon 14 & M. D. Cooper are registered trademarks of Mal Cooper

  All rights reserved

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  FOREWORD

  PREVIOUSLY…

  MAPS

  PART ONE

  SOL DIVIDED

  DOWN THE RAMP

  PARROT GAMES

  SUPPRESSION

  GREENER GRASS

  CLASH OF WILLS

  REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS

  USEFUL THREATS

  THE FRUITLESS SEARCH

  ORDERS

  BIRDLAND

  SPILLED MERCURY

  THE TINDERBOX

  THREE TASKS

  THE LONG WALK

  CULLING THE HERD

  LEAVING HOME

  LISTENING SKILLS

  CHANGE OF PLANS

  A GRAND SIPHON

  HILGRAM HEAVY METAL

  SECRET CHAPTER

  ADMIN AUTHORITY

  BURRA

  THE SLEEPER WON’T AWAKEN

  A WAITING NEW WORLD

  QUESTIONS AND MORE

  A DATE WITH FATE

  BRAKING

  LOSING CLARISE

  MACHINE VILLAGE

  HARD OPTIONS

  LEGION OF HONOR

  THE SLAB

  PART TWO

  BREACH OPERATIONS

  SNOOPING

  CLAWS

  THE HARD WAY

  BATTLE IN THE GLADE

  THE MARSIAN WELCOME

  CAT WRANGLING

  THE GREAT PEARL

  LOOSE THE WORMS

  APROACH POINT

  RADIATION WHALE

  CORONA

  ROUGH ENTRY

  WELCOME TO HILGRAM

  CORNERS AND DOORS

  THE NEW MODEL

  THE LAST STAND

  CORE STORAGE

  ABSTRACTION PROTOCOL

  THE LAST GUNSLINGER

  THE LAST PORTAL

  STATION TWELVE

  SUN RUNNER

  DIVERSIONS

  THE MOVE

  AFTERWORD

  THE BOOKS OF AEON 14

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  FOREWORD

  I’m writing this foreword while in the midst of a conversation with Jen (our editor) and James about how to weave in some connections between the Solar War 1 series and the Tanis: Origins of Destiny series—the things we’re scheming are making me giddy.

  Let’s just say that Solar War 1 is the origin of a few other characters you’ve already met in later books….

  I probably mentioned this in the prior book, but the process we’re using to write the Solar War 1 books is a lot of fun in general, and it’s great to riff off other writers and collaborators who really know the universe and share in the overarching vision for it.

  This came to mind when I was talking with some other authors at the NINC conference in Florida last week. It’s a gathering of some 300 authors on St. Pete’s beach (which is so beautiful). Sometimes when I relate how many books we release, and that I have coauthors, I sense a bit of judgment that I’m doing it just to inflate my numbers.

  But that is certainly not the case with Aeon 14. I brought coauthors into the fold specifically because I knew that the A14 universe is so big that it can’t come from one mind alone—even one as bizarre as mine.

  The contributions of the coauthors I’ve paired with have added a vibrance to the universe that I could never have imagined on my own, and I’m endlessly pleased that I’ve brought each of them onto the project.

  I think everyone can agree that James’ contributions to Aeon 14 are beyond amazing, and his vision and storytelling have enriched the universe and made all of our stories in later eras better.

  From characters like Andy, who touched our hearts, to Cara, who encapsulates the true grit we love to see in Aeon 14 women, to men like Ngoba Starl, and uplifted animals like Crash, the cast he’s introduced us to is totally enthralling.

  So I’m just going to quietly dedicate this book to James (and his incredible vision/storytelling), and we’ll see if he reads this foreword before it makes it out into the world….

  M. D. Cooper

  Danvers, 2019

  PREVIOUSLY…

  Sol in the year 3100 is a unique time in Aeon 14. While the Future Generation Terraformers have already departed for far-flung systems, Earth, Mars, the Jovian Combine, and the Worlds of the Scattered Disk remain enmeshed in the struggles that have plagued humanity since its inception.

  While humanity may resist significant change, a new player has entered the stage: Sentient Artificial Intelligence, often called SAIs or non-organics. They are as varied as humans, some seeing themselves as better than humans, others as simply another branch of humanity, some bent on the destruction of their creators.

  Sol in 3100 is the beginning of the Sentience Wars, a conflict that will define the future of humanity, and create the conditions for the voyage of the Intrepid, the Enfield family, Tanis Richards, and all who come after—from Jessica, to Sera, Cheeky and Kylie.

  The Sentience Wars: Origins told the story of the Sykes family, struggling to survive as freighters in the wilds between Outer and InnerSol. Andy Sykes makes a deal to save his family, and finds himself undergoing the first successful implantation of an SAI, and in the process, becomes the protector of Lyssa.

  Lyssa is a Weapon Born, a seed AI imaged from a human, part of a weapons program developed by Heartbridge Medical that spread throughout Sol. In the course of smuggling Lyssa to safety, Andy and the crew of the Sunny Skies learned about Psion, a group secretly transporting SAIs out of InnerSol to supposed safety near Neptune.

  Psion is not all that it seems. Led by a group of powerful SAIs, they attack Ceres and its Insi Ring, destroying the habitat and displacing the millions who live there, flooding Sol with refugees from the fascist Anderson Collective.

  Lyssa leads an attack on Psion, stopping their advance on Earth, but not before Andy Sykes is killed protecting Lyssa and his children, Cara and Tim.

  For twenty years after the destruction of Insi Ring, Psion occupies Ceres. A tenuous peace holds between SolGov and Psion, until Humanity First, an anti-AI coalition led by Senator Randall Harrin, leads a blockade on Vesta, a planetoid within Psion’s sphere of control.

  The battle of Vesta ends in a stand-off, but not before the powerful SAI Camaris proves her hatred of humanity, and Psion shows its widening cracks from within. Peace is ending, and factions on all sides are driving to seize separate control of their territory. Mars and Earth maintain a weak alliance, while the Jovian Combine grows in power, and the worlds of the Scattered Disk continue to gain influence separate of InnerSol.

  Pursuing closure from her father’s death, Cara Sykes returns to InnerSol only to be imprisoned by the TSF. She is freed from prison by Senator Folsom of the Jovian Combine, who recognizes her unique skills and status, especially to the volatile Anderson Collective.

  Escaping Earth, Cara finds herself on Luna, embroiled in an insurgent plot that spreads across Sol, as the Anderson Collective rises up against governments to seize territory as their own. After stopping the Anderson rebellion on Luna, Cara takes the captured Chancellor Osla to Cruithne—the only place she can think of where he’ll be secure.

  Seeking an agreement
with Camaris, Lyssa becomes trapped in an expanse while her body remains on the Mars 1 Ring, and Emerson, a Weapon Born copy of Kylan, travels to Cruithne for help.

  All the while, the war in Sol continues to build….

  NOTABLE INDIVIDUALS

  Cara Sykes – Captain of the Amplified Solution and former pirate in the Scattered Disk

  Tim Sykes – Sergeant in the Mars 1 Guard Special Operations Group. Under Link suppression, he believes he is ‘Ty Fisk’ and remembers nothing of his past

  Crash – an uplifted grey parrot with extreme intelligence and Link capability, also loves puzzles

  General Yarnes – Fleet Commander in the Terran Space Force, former intelligence officer, and veteran of the Battle of Vesta

  Fugia Wong – Leader of the Data Hoarders

  Ngoba Starl – Leader of the Lowspin Crime Syndicate on Cruithne Station

  Emerson Sharp – Weapon Born imaged from Kylan Carthage

  Camaris – Originally a member of the Psion Council, but cast out after the attack on Ceres

  Charles Osla – Chancellor of the Anderson Collective

  Randall Harrin – SolGov senator and leader of the Humanity First Faction

  Sinclair Rondo – Leader in the Data Hoarders, works to protect the Data Mesh that spans Sol

  Xander – Rogue shard AI of Alexander

  Lyssa Sykes – Leader of the Weapon Born AIs

  Alexander – Multi-nodal AI who leads the Psion group

  MAPS

  Also available at www.aeon14.com/maps

  PART ONE

  SOL DIVIDED

  STELLAR DATE: 08.13.3011 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: SolGov Assembly Tower, Raleigh

  REGION: High Terra, Terran Hegemony, InnerSol

  Folsom looked out over the SolGov assembly and gave a slow shake of his head.

  How has it come to this already?

  Jove had pulled out of SolGov; the host of seats where their senators had once sat were now vacant. They took up nearly a quarter of the chamber, and the vacancies were likely to increase.

  Though Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune were nominally members of the Jovian Combine, not all of their representatives had vacated High Terra along with their counterparts. Forty of their senators remained, forming a bloc that still hadn’t decided which side they were on.

  The dozen new senators—formerly non-voting representatives—from the Scattered Disk were all present, but every one of them wore a ‘wait and see’ expression. From what Folsom had heard, they were on the brink of pulling out.

  Even more disturbing, there were already rumors that the Jovians were forming a new Solar Assembly, and working hard to draw all members from OuterSol and the Disk to it.

  It’s only a matter of time before they approach me.

  He still didn’t know how he’d respond to such an overture. The Hera Collective tended to side with Mars more often than not—mostly due to the proximity they shared every two years. However, factions back home were pushing for a siding with the Jovians.

  Folsom knew why. It was because of Ceres. InnerSol didn’t live with the same fear of Psion that his people did. They were—rightly so, in Folsom’s mind—attempting to find balance with sentient AIs. No longer could humanity deny the fact that it had created a second race. SAIs were a reality that everyone had to deal with.

  Though some prompted genocide.

  While the Jovians hadn’t come out and proposed a final solution in so many words, the writing was on the wall. Some of Folsom’s people supported that stance…a stance he couldn’t see himself backing under any circumstances. If for no other reason than fear that it would unite all SAIs against humanity.

  The senator harbored no illusions that without the aid of friendly AIs such as Lyssa and her Weapon Born, humanity would already be fighting for its very existence.

  On the chamber’s floor, Senate President Carmen Morales was outlining new voting rules that would be in effect until such a time as the Jovian Council at Ganymede passed a resolution in support or opposition to their senatorial delegates’ departure from High Terra.

  The practical result was that SolGov was in limbo until that time, with only small matters requiring a simple majority of senators present to pass being heard.

  The remaining members of the security council were in hot debate in a side conversation occurring via the Link. No one was yet prepared to take a stand against the Andersonians spread across Sol, despite the fact that they now showed a clear infiltration of Humanity First—which also may be under the control of Psion…or Camaris.

  Of course, the notable absence of Randall Harrin, dead as a result of his actions in the Andersonian uprising on Luna, was a stark reminder that nothing was business as usual anymore.

  Despite that clear reminder, several members refused to admit that Psion could have fractured so completely. They believed that the AIs on Ceres were creating ghosts for the humans to fight.

  Folsom resisted an audible sigh. They’re not entirely wrong.

  The senate president concluded her remarks and turned the floor over to a senator from Venus, who raised a number of issues regarding the flow of materials necessary for the terraforming work there.

  It seemed silly, in the face of stellar war, to worry about such things, but he supposed that, for the Venusians, if the supplies their world needed were cut off, they would be facing an existential threat.

  The Security Council had already flagged Venus as a top-tier target for Psion, as well as being at risk for covert operations from the Jovians.

  What a mess.

  No one was willing to commit their best assets to the war or to offering aid, every nation determined to play the waiting game till the end.

  DOWN THE RAMP

  STELLAR DATE: 08.13.3011 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: Lowspin Docks

  REGION: Cruithne Station, Terran Hegemony, InnerSol

  The faces of the group waiting outside were barely distinguishable through the shuttle’s dirty plas windows. Standing in front of the cargo door, waiting for the quarantine scan, Cara shifted uncomfortably. She pulled her brown jacket straight and adjusted her pistol’s holster. Only when standing still did her body start to hurt, sore from too many fights to track.

  Next to her in the cramped cargo hold waited Sinclair Rondo, a bearded hacker nearly seven feet tall, wearing a scuffed trench coat, and Charles Osla, chancellor of the Anderson Collective. Currently, groups of Andersonians were in open revolt throughout Sol, seizing local governments and declaring new territory for the Collective. Cara and Rondo had just barely escaped Luna.

  A compact, muscled man with short, blond hair, Osla’s bruised face wore a satisfied grin under swollen eyes. Cara had given him those bruises, and would have given him more to wipe the smile off his face. She restrained herself; kidnapping Osla had been enough of an international incident.

  Rondo shifted, making a pained face. “Stop that, Adama,” he said, reaching inside his coat to soothe the black ship cat hidden in a long pocket against his body.

  Adama growled, then started purring as Rondo scratched his head.

  “You think Cruithne Station is a safe place for your pet?” Osla asked. “I hear they eat cats here.”

  “Safer for him than you,” Rondo said with a threat in his voice.

  Cara hadn’t known Rondo long, but she had learned that threatening his cat was the one thing that set off the likable hacker. Rondo had nearly a meter’s height on Osla, and towered over him like a tree.

  The swollen chancellor shrugged. “Calm yourself, big man. I spoke out of concern for your cat. I wouldn’t want him to get hurt in such a rough place.”

  Rondo snorted. “Rough? I love Cruithne. The people here make sense. I visited Ceres when you all were in control…. That was crazy town. Now, I don’t know how rough they might treat you. That’s Ngoba Starl out there, head of the Lowspin Syndicate. You’re a petty tyrant compared to him.”

  Cara watched Osla as he coc
ked an eyebrow, then visibly chose not to engage with the insult. He seemed to remember that he was still a prisoner, and didn’t know what to expect from Starl. Cara wasn’t sure if Ngoba would immediately space the chancellor. From everything she remembered, her uncle Ngoba was a believer in expedience, and never giving an enemy a first chance at causing problems.

  She rocked forward on her boots, flexing the sore muscles in her legs. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her how long it had been since she’d had a real meal.

  “Was that your stomach or Adama’s?” Rondo asked.

  Cara rolled her eyes at him. “I’m looking forward to some real food,” she said.

  The quarantine was taking longer than usual. Or maybe it had been too long since she tried to clear Port Authority, and had forgotten what to expect. That life seemed so long ago, lost on the other side of years of Link suppression. She also couldn’t deny the pulses of excitement and trepidation at seeing all the people she had once thought of as family, from her life before the Scattered Disk.

  “The Dread Pirate Sykes returns home to villainous Cruithne,” Osla said.

  Cara glanced at him to find his bruised face squished in a purple smile. He looked like a stomped plum.

  Just as Cara was opening her mouth to rebuke Osla, her Link came alive with chatter. The quarantine had apparently been lifted.

  several voices shouted at once.

  a woman’s voice said, rising over the other. Pert and imperious, there was no denying the presence of Fugia Wong, waiting on the other side of the shuttle door.

  The airlock cycled open, and the dock’s cacophony of sounds filled Cara’s ears, so different than anything she had heard on the Amplified Solution or on Luna. The air tasted like oil with a frozen edge that suggested vacuum wasn’t far away. Drones, people, and shuttles hurried in the bays around them, giving everything a sense of urgency and cold professionalism.