[Cerenovo 01] • Emergent

Two viruses emerge. One disables computers; the other, people. On the verge of the 22nd Century, the Second Information Age promises unheralded miracles. Artificial intelligence operates cars and planes. Genetic diseases are corrected in utero while telomeric therapy reverses aging. At the touch of a button, drones deliver goods from factories operated by robots. The only problem is that these luxuries are available only to those who can afford them; a growing discontent arises from those who cannot. Ridley Pierce programs implants at Cerenovo, a biotechnology startup in Seattle. One morning, he ignores an unseen voice that warns him to stay home. Ridley returns to find his parents dying. He calls for an ambulance but reaches none. Diane Kingsolver tracks a complex computer virus as it infects Ukon.com's network. It appears to move through power-lines and no antivirus is able to stop it. Sergeant John Maddox arrives back at the barracks after a night of drinking to find that many soldiers in his platoon are dead. From within protective suits, his battalion scrambles to lead relief efforts in the cities The Great Collapse begins when an invisible foe attacks the world's computers. Concurrently, a mysterious influenza virus burns through the population. Can Ridley, Diane and John survive long enough to track down the source of the computer virus? Or, will the Second Information Age be lost to history?