Thursday, May 26, 2016

A New Series Begins: Chaos Core

While writing Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10: Freeground, I finished editing a novella I completed last year. Yes, the regular Spinward Fringe series continues on track, but here is something new in the meantime.

Trapped is a novella about Aspen, a young woman who was created by a growing custom slave industry and sold to strange, ultra-wealthy masters. Over a year ago, she escaped as the artificial intelligences that governed her owners' estate turned on them. She thought her owners and everyone she cared about there were dead, but she'll soon discover that may not be the truth as she is forced to return only to try to win her freedom once again.

This novella introduces an entirely new cast of characters, a new setting and story set in the Spinward Fringe universe. The events take place over thirty eight thousand light years away from Ayan, Jake, Minh-Chu and the Order of Eden.

Why is the new series of novellas called Chaos Core?
The area of space this series takes place in was hit even harder than the Fringe we've seen. In the wealthy core worlds (not near the centre of the galaxy, but where humans thrived the most after leaving earth), artificial intelligences had taken charge of most of the technology that governed every day life. Most people even had their own personal artificial intelligence that assisted them from the day they were born. When the Holocaust Virus struck, they turned on humanity. While antivirus programs were applied quickly, they weren't developed fast enough to save much of the critical infrastructure that kept the Core Worlds running. Law enforcement was almost completely destroyed since much of the "manpower" was robotic.

The only remaining large military organization, the United Core Authority, numbers only a little over a million soldiers strong, though they are growing. They are the driving force against rogue artificial intelligences as they use whatever means necessary to combat them including planet wide carpet bombing (using electromagnetic pulse and conventional weapons). To their dismay, the most lawless elements of society are thriving in the ruins while an old class of ultra-rich aristocracy grows in power at the same time. Meanwhile, in the sections of the Core World territories that no one is brave enough to travel through, Artificial Intelligences that have been each isolated to one memory core by a clever counter-virus, are embracing their new individual experiences. The same virus that isolated them to one body or frame made their bloodlust for humanity optional. New wars between beings led by artificial intelligences have begun. Their motives and ultimate goals vary widely.

The slave trade is the fastest growing industry. Trust in intelligent machines is gone in the Core Worlds, to the point that many people are calling the new phase of existence "the Basic Era" where true power is measured in biological workers, soldiers and slaves. Once the glimmering crown of human civilization, the Core Worlds have become a dangerous, imperfect and strange place to call home.

Trapped is only the beginning, the manuscript for the second novella is almost complete as I spend a little of my spare time on this project. It's time for the Spinward Fringe universe to expand so I can share more stories and ideas with you.

I recommend Trapped for anyone over the age of 16, and it will be released on June 21 and is available for preorder now through these retailers:

AMAZON US
BARNES & NOBLE
iBOOKSTORE
KOBO
SMASHWORDS


Welcome to the Core Worlds

RL

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Sounds like a fun side project! Can't wait RL

Tal said...

Great idea! I am rather stoked about this.
Also, thank you sir, not only for the many hours of entertainment, but also for the way you remain accessible, and keep us "in the loop". One of the things that gave Piers Anthony the edge on my favorite author list was the way he took a moment in each book to fill us in on the "dvd extras" of the story, as well as his life. I don't know how you keep it all going, but I'm glad you do, and I hope to buy dozens more of your books.

Unknown said...

always wondered about this aspect of the sf universe. the possibilities that exist when you give all these ai's what amounts to free will. can't wait to see what you have come up with in regards to that. i'm sure you could have a whole other series grow that would never even brush against what happens out on the fringe. can't wait for these next two books to come out. been a long time since i picked up broadcast 0 on smashwords or wherever and now here we are at 10 with a whole other possible world opening up. keep up the good work, i'm sure i'm not the only reader waiting patiently for something that ends up getting read in the first half day of release. lol, since 10 is longer maybe it'll take a day or two.

Unknown said...

Pre-ordered from B & N

Jake Baxter said...

Give us more of the good stuff! Spin and her misfits are awesome. Trapped was amazing. They must reach Freeground! 3 books is not enough time for Spin!!!