AboldnewspaceoperafromAurealisAwardsshortlistedauthorofTheFirebird’sTaleandCradleandGrave.TheAIisbrutal,viciousandefficientandhumanityhastofighttosurvive.“CitizensoftheFederation.GreetingsfromtheCore.“FordecadestheUNandtheRussianmilitaryhavenavigatedatenseinterstellarColdWar.LieutenantKalinaSokolovaisaidetoCounter-AdmiralKasparov,themajorstrategistfortheRussianNavy.SheisalsoanelitespyworkingfortheUN.SheistaskedwithwatchingtheCounter-Admiral,andassassinationisnotoutofthequestion.SolitaireYeungisacorsair,ascavenger,apirate.IntheheartofadestroyedRussianbattleship,hissalvagecrewmakesanexplosivediscovery:thebrainoftheship’stopsecretartificialintelligence.Andagainsttheirbetterjudgment,theytakeitandrun.TheUNwantsit,andtheRussianswantitback,butthey’renottheonlyoneshuntingit.Anevenmorepowerfulfoegrowsinthedarknessofspace.Nowallofhumanityhastofighttosurvive...
