Ramez Naam - Crux

And of course, if you enjoyed this book, the very nicest thing you can do for me is to let the world know, by telling your friends, by posting about it online, and by leaving a review of this book at Amazon or whatever sites you use to buy and discover books.

We live in the most interesting age humanity has ever seen. I can’t wait to see what happens next. I hope you’ll all join me on that adventure.

R.N.

ANGRY ROBOT

A member of the Osprey Group

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Angry Robot / Osprey Publishing

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Kill or cure

An Angry Robot paperback original 2013

Copyright © Ramez Naam 2013

Ramez Naam asserts the moral right to be

identified as the author of this work.

UK ISBN 978 0 85766 295 8

US ISBN 978 0 85766 296 5

Ebook ISBN 978 0 85766 297 2

Cover design by Argh! Oxford

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any

means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or

otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by

way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or

otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in

any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is

published and without a similar condition including this

condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and

incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination.

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or

localities is entirely coincidental.

Contents

Half Title Page

PROLOGUE: JULY 2040

Symphonic

This Changes Everything

Home at Last

Darkness

OCTOBER 2040

Chapter 1: Taken

Chapter 2: On the Move

Chapter 3: Domestic Bliss

Chapter 4: Transitions

Chapter 5: Not quite a Hero

Chapter 6: Q & A

Chapter 7: Dreams and Nightmares

Chapter 8: A Good Life

Chapter 9: Consequences

Chapter 10: The Mission

Chapter 11: Clouds on the Horizon

Chapter 12: Potential

Chapter 13: Bo Tat

Chapter 14: Good Night, Shanghai

Chapter 15: Means, Motive, Opportunity

Chapter 16: Only Forward

Chapter 17: Surprise Encounter

Chapter 18: Friends

Chapter 19: The Long Goodbye

Chapter 20: Shutdown

Chapter 21: Regress

Chapter 22: Memories

Chapter 23: Cat and Mouse

Chapter 24: Angry Daddy

Chapter 25: Ambush

Chapter 26: Asian Travels

Chapter 27: Heaven

Chapter 28: The Family

Chapter 29: Neanderthals

Chapter 30: Bonding

Chapter 31: Stuck in a Moment

Chapter 32: Separation Anxiety

Chapter 33: Confrontation

Chapter 34: Most to Gain

Chapter 35: Last Words

Chapter 36: Gods and Monsters

Chapter 37: Preparations

Chapter 38: Information Extraction

Chapter 39: Where it Ends

Chapter 40: Hell

Chapter 41: Battle Royale

Chapter 42: Convergence

Chapter 43: Capture

Chapter 44: Phuket

Chapter 45: Never Let You Go

Chapter 46: Lo Prang

Chapter 47: New Horizons

Chapter 48: Access Denied

Chapter 49: Caged

Chapter 50: Detox

Chapter 51: Unknowns

Chapter 52: Sail Away

Chapter 53: Perspective

Chapter 54: Brother in Arms

Chapter 55: Old Flames

Chapter 56: En Route

Chapter 57: The Freedom Trail

Chapter 58: Alone Together

Chapter 59: Visions

Chapter 60: War Stories

Chapter 61: The Price of Freedom

Chapter 62: Up the Coast

Chapter 63: Decisions

Chapter 64: Storm Warnings

Chapter 65: A Matter of Principle

Chapter 66: Halting State

Chapter 67: Far from Home

Chapter 68: Escape

Chapter 69: The Plan

Chapter 70: Mission Eve

Chapter 71: Liberation

Chapter 72: Into the Storm

Chapter 73: Mother, Mother

Chapter 74: A Last Debate

Chapter 75: Sanctuary

Chapter 76: Prior Days

Chapter 77: End of the Road

Chapter 78: Truth Out

Chapter 79: Prelude to Violence

Chapter 80: Brave Girl

Chapter 81: Assault on Apyar Kyun

Chapter 82: Friendly Fire

Chapter 83: Daddy Dearest

Chapter 84: All Together Now

Chapter 85: Signal Strength

Chapter 86: Against the Tide

Chapter 87: Necessary Evil

EPILOGUE: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3RD, 2040

Chapter 88: Safe and Sound

Chapter 89: Two Scandals

Chapter 90: My Daughter, My Self

Acknowledgments

About the Author

The Science of Crux

Imprint