SCION (eBook)

E.M. Peck (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
236 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
9798350979510 (ISBN)

Infos

Kali Dal just celebrated her twentieth birthday, and when you turn twenty in the city of Caros, everything changes. Kali is now eligible for the FUSION event, the merging of her consciousness with the SCION operating system. But when she is mysteriously barred from participating in the FUSION, Kali is rejected by society and treated as an outcast. Searching for answers, she enlists the help of a young SCION engineer named Ashir Kamin. Ashir is smart, confident, and intimately familiar with SCION's source code. Together, Kali and Ashir work to expose the secrets of SCION and its enigmatic creator, Abraham. The truth they uncover could cost Kali everything and may make her question the very nature of reality.

Evan Peck (E.M. Peck) is a biochemist, science patent analyst, and self-professed nerd. He aims to write books that blur the line between science and psychology, the world inside our minds and external reality. Evan currently lives in central Pennsylvania with his wife, their two sons, and a growing number of fur babies.

---

Kali Dal just celebrated her twentieth birthday, and when you turn twenty in the city of Caros, everything changes. Kali is now eligible for the FUSION event, the merging of her consciousness with the SCION operating system. But when she is mysteriously barred from participating in the FUSION, Kali is rejected by society and treated as an outcast. Searching for answers, she enlists the help of a young SCION engineer named Ashir Kamin. Ashir is smart, confident, and intimately familiar with SCION's source code. Together, Kali and Ashir work to expose the secrets of SCION and its enigmatic creator, Abraham. The truth they uncover could cost Kali everything and may make her question the very nature of reality. "e;SCION"e; follows the corruption of an artificial intelligence program developed to facilitate the union of humanity to the SCION operating system, creating a single, immortal consciousness. The book reflects on the perils of AI, technology, power and corruption, and the darkness of the human heart. "e;SCION"e; is perfect for fans of science fiction, psychological thrillers, and books with twisty, fast-paced plots.

Textauszug

two

Kali

There was a sharp knock at the door. God, please don’t let it be them. “Kali! Time to go!” my mother yelled from the living room. Why did I have to go through with this? Who wanted to be fused to SCION anyway? “Kali, now!” I guess it wasn’t all bad. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with that bitch anymore.

I made my way down the hall, and my mother met me at the entrance to the living room. She grabbed my elbow and steered me toward the door. Two figures stood there, dressed in dark suits. As I glanced at them, my Overlays began transmitting—SHIVA: Simulated Human Intelligence, Variant Alpha—but I didn’t need the scrolling text to tell me what I already knew. These things weren’t human.

When you came face to face with a SHIVA, you naturally recoiled in horror. Your brain was attempting to process the image in front of you, an image that appeared normal at first, but as you looked closer, you saw the truth. Their rigid body movements, the too-dark eyes. Those eyes. Black portals leading to the depths of hell. Instinct told you the SHIVA would never show concern for you. It would never be moved by your tears or consider your pain. Appealing for mercy was useless. Most of all, you sensed that underneath that illusion of flesh was a cold, calculating machine built for a single purpose—control.

One of the SHIVAs began to speak, while the other remained motionless.

“Kali Dal, ID 24435472F, we are here to transport you to the FUSION event where you will be evaluated for potential merging with the Simulated Conscious Intelligence Operating Network, hereafter referred to as SCION. You will not need any personal items at this event, although you are permitted to wear your Overlays. Should you be chosen to undergo the FUSION, you will be authorized to leave this residence. However, if you are rejected and your lineage terminated, you will be required to remain here until your body ceases to function. Do you understand and accept these terms?”

“Yes!” I said, maybe a little too eagerly. The thought of not having to stay with my mother any longer was enticing. The SHIVA continued:

“Because your reproductive anatomy allows for childbearing, you will also be expected to birth at least one offspring. Should you achieve complete merging with SCION, you will not be obligated to raise this offspring, and it will be given a surrogate. However, should you attain only partial FUSION, the child will remain in your care until they turn twenty years old. Do you understand and accept these terms?” I hesitated. Both SHIVAs went silent, awaiting my response.

I glanced at my mother. She stared at the SHIVAs, refusing to look in my direction. God! Why couldn’t she be the mother I needed her to be, just this once? I shifted back to the SHIVAs. What choice did I have? If I refused, SCION would terminate my lineage, and I’d be stuck here with my mother for the rest of my life. At least if I agreed to merge with SCION, I wouldn’t remember her or anything else from my childhood. A clean slate.

“I… I guess so, yes.” At the words, both SHIVAs sprang to life.

“Please follow us to the designated vehicle outside. We will convey you to the FUSION event celebration.” My mother tightened her hold on my arm. She led me out the door toward a black sedan with dark-tinted windows. The SHIVAs flanked us on either side. Inhuman, merciless bots. I despised them, but there was nothing I could do. There was no escape from SCION.

During the ride, I reflected on the life that SCION and the city of Caros had forced on me, on all of us. For the first twenty years of my life, I lived alone with my mother. I was an only child, like all children in Caros. Every day, I was required to Upload, copying all my thoughts and memories and storing the copy on SCION’s database. God knows what the program did with all that useless information. You could miss a day here or there, if you submitted the appropriate forms, but it was forbidden to miss Uploading for longer than seventy-two hours. Why? No one ever said. No one ever questioned the Upload. Like eating or sleeping, it was just something you did.

Now that I was twenty years old, I would be forced to undergo the FUSION, as my mother had, and her mother before her. Like every citizen of Caros. I didn’t know much about the event, only that my consciousness would be merged with SCION’s operating system, and my memories would be erased. Good riddance. What life was like after that was a mystery. I hoped it was better than the one I’d experienced so far.

When we reached the city center, we exited the car, and my mother steered me down the main street. I winced as she dragged me forward. She leaned over and whispered in my ear, “You will do exactly as they say, do you understand me?” I nodded, too nervous to fight or respond. I glanced around. Thousands of people gathered on the sidewalks or looked down from apartment balconies. I didn’t see anyone I recognized. I was alone. A projected screen floated above the city center, displaying the current group of initiates to the FUSION. I saw my face pop up on the screen, complete with all my biological information, my family’s FUSION history, my ACCEPTABLE genetics. The anxious thoughts in my head shifted to panic. My heart raced. Blood pounded in my ears, making me lightheaded. I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail and be stuck in that house forever. What am I going to do?

I scanned the crowd again, trying to distract from the chaos in my mind. My gaze landed on a tall, handsome man in a trim navy suit. The suit complemented his ebony skin tone well. He was thin, but not frail, and when he moved, he did so with confidence and poise. But his eyes were what drew my attention. They were my eyes! My Overlays projected his information: Ashir Kamin, ID: 333263M, AGE: 25, HT: 183.1 cm, WT: 65.8 kg. GENETICS: DESIRABLE. STATUS: TERMINATED. Wait, what? That didn’t make sense. I’d never heard of someone with desirable genetics failing the FUSION. SCION wouldn’t terminate the lineage of someone like that, would they? If so, what did that mean for me?

I noticed something else odd as well—he wasn’t wearing any Overlays. Everyone wore Overlays, that’s how you interacted with the world. As I wondered at this, he must have felt my stare because our eyes locked. I turned away, but it was too late. When I looked again, I saw him making his way over, a slight smile on his lips. Shit, what the hell does he want? He approached with his hand outstretched, and I took it.

“Hi, my name’s Ashir Kamin, but I’m guessing you knew that already. I saw you staring at me, so I thought I’d come introduce myself,” he spoke in an easy, welcoming tone.

“I wasn’t—”

“It’s fine,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I get it. It’s not every day you see someone without their Overlays.” The edges of his lips curled into a full grin, revealing perfectly white teeth. “Can I ask your name?” Weird. No one ever asked for names anymore, that’s what the Overlays were for. I raised myself up to my full height, attempting to match his confidence.

“I’m Kali, Kali Dal.”

“Ah, Kali. Now that’s interesting,” he mused, as if it reminded him of something.

“Yeah, not really. What is it you wanted exactly?” I asked, my eyes staring into his. God, those eyes were like looking into my own soul. He chuckled,

“I’m sorry, Kali. Sometimes I get carried away, especially when I meet someone new. I just wanted to say hi. I’ll let you get back to enjoying the party. I hope the FUSION goes well for you today, I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.” Creep. Or was I just being paranoid? Growing up with my mother had made me suspicious of almost all social interactions, and when every adult around you was only partially human at best, it was difficult to take authentic communication at face value.

He made his way back across the street, stopping from time to time to chat with other patrons in the crowd. I couldn’t help stealing glances at him. Who was he? I’d probably never find out. My name had just been called, and it was time for me to merge with SCION. The destruction of all I was. The beginning of all I would become. And then another thought crept in. Would I finally be free? 

Ashir

The seeds were planted. Kali would seek me out once she failed the FUSION. At least, she would if she was anything like me. Something still bothered me, though. I wasn’t sure what I’d set in motion, or how it would all play out, and I didn’t like that uncertainty. Was Kali ready for what lay ahead? Even if she wasn’t, it was too late to turn back now.

I was here, at the FUSION. The first one I’d attended in years. Almost the entire city gathered for the FUSIONs, but I hadn’t been able to bring myself to go to one since the incident. When I had broken into the FUSION chamber and saved that woman… I had saved her, hadn’t I? Did it even matter? There were always more chambers and more FUSIONs and more people. SCION would never stop. What I had done was meaningless, and it had cost me everything.

Everyone around me was watching a projected screen in the city’s main square as a council of SHIVAs sorted those who’d recently turned twenty years old. If they...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 18.2.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• ISBN-13: 9798350979510 / 9798350979510