Tag: Sci-fi

For We Are Many (Bobiverse) by Denis E Taylor

Hello dear readers, I have just finished reading the second book in the Bobiverse series by Denis E Taylor. For those that may have forgotten, I gave the first one five stars out of five (We are Legion We are Bob). The sequel is not always on a par with the original though.

Bob Johansson didn’t believe in an afterlife, so he signed up to be resurrected after he had died. Little did he realize that it would be as an Artificial Intelligence or replicant, and that life would far outlive his biological one. Bob and his copies have been spreading out from Earth for 40 years now, looking for habitable planets trying to save the last remnants of humanity after a disastrous nuclear war. Something that’s increasingly feeling like a real prospect these days.

Each Bob copy has its own variability in character due both to the copying process and their own unique experiences once they separate. The relationships between the Bobs themselves is one of the things that makes this novel so special.

What follows is an intriguing tale of exploration, love and friendship over space and time.

Amongst the various sub stories, one Bob becomes a Sky God to a primitive species doing everything possible to ensure its survival.

Another Bob fall in love with a woman he can never touch.

“The Others” are the adversary in the book, who are stripping the surrounding star systems of life and material to create their own Dyson Sphere. Who finally wins is left to the next novel and I for one, can’t wait.

This gets another five stars out of five from me.

Pegasus (Part 109)

It was difficult to make headway but I persisted. Every now and then, I would glance behind me to make sure I didn’t lose the others. They followed closely behind in a line to take advantage of every step forward I made.

The wall of people was made up of people from throughout the system. There was every hue of skin color – white, black, purple and orange, you name it. Humans were evolving to their various habitats, and some were starting to not look like humans at all.

There were large shopping malls on each side, followers by floor after floor of apartments and offices.

The streets that had been chocked by people, gradually became easier to navigate, and I soon broke out into a brisk walk.

I heard Chrissie comment about the thinning crowd from behind, but I was just anxious to reach our destination. I would look up the majestic, tall buildings, that seemed to rise up forever and ensure that the next was getting closer and closer till the light started to dim.

We had arrived.

There was little point in us staying as a group. It would complicate the matter of building trust.

I turned around to the rest.

“Tabitha, myself and you will head into that place called Toibins.”

Then Casey interjected.

“And, what are we supposed to do?”

Pegasus (Part 108)

As we left the ship, we stepped onto a platform that led to elevators on the wall. Chrissie walked ahead of us and pressed the button. Nothing seemed to happen at first. Then we heard a whizzing sound coming from below; it grew gradually larger. Then someone saw the elevator just before it arrived,

An artificial voiceover speaking in Irish told us to take a ticket, to remember where our ship was parked and that it would bring us to ground level. Hearing that the ancient language once more made me feel warm inside. I took the piece of pink paper and put it in my wallet.

Much to my surprise, I felt nothing on the way down. The opaque doors stopped you from seeing any movement also. The doors opened and we walked out to a packed street and a cacophony of sounds. People brushed up against our shoulders as they tried to get past. Large buildings looked almost magical as they stretched upwards. I realised I was feeling queasy, and took a moment to get my bearings. We needed to go towards the centre of the city, and see if we could do some sort of deal to get to the Emperor’s habitat.

In one direction, there was definitely an increased density of buildings.

“This way,”

Pegasus (Part 106)

The bridge went silent as our ship descended into the back of the convoy, the habitat growing ever larger in our translucent screen. For the first few moments, Tabitha looked warily into my eyes.

Then the sound of chatter started coming in and out over the comms –

  • Come in Delta V, come in Delta V. State the nature of your business
  • Delta V here. Delta V here over. We are transporting Lithium 95 over Code 415356 over
  • You are cleared Delta V. Your convoy is to proceed

“That’s all yall have to do to get in?”

The intricacies of my calculations were lost on her. They had flown into one of the most corrupt parts of the Empire, and had taken advantage of it. The code provided was too short to be anything other than criminal. It avoided the financial pain of them having to pay their own.

They were now approaching the thin red atmosphere of the habitat.

“Buckle up,” Tabitha commanded.

Everyone complied without hesitation.

The ship began to vibrate.

Leanne and Casey held each other’s hand.

Then it stopped, and our target city of ten million souls appeared in the distance—a sea of skyscrapers jutting up to heights almost out of the atmosphere.

Pegasus (Part 104)

The Taurus V Military Complex was legendary, an almost mythical place. It was a spherical rotating habitat with a habitable surface area equivalent to Africa’s. It was home to the Emperor’s most loyal, best-paid, well-armed battalion. They were called the Blue Core and numbered over thirty million soldiers. Their armor consists of over one hundred thousand tanks, four thousand dreadnoughts, thousands of heavy lasers, and artillery pieces. The Space Core is required to transport them to battle, a cautious Emperor wary of giving any of his forces too much power.

They regularly carried out war games on the habitat, which was very close to the real thing often resulting in thousands of casualties. They were easily replaced in a large empire.

The Blue Core was infamous for its role in many battles such as putting down the Lunar Rebellion and the Comotose Habitat conflagration.

Still, it was the massacres that they were best known for. Men and children were murdered, the women were raped first. Any habitat that dared to resist. A thoroughly delightful bunch.

And I was now on a spacecraft veering through space right toward them. Because their corruption was also legendary. That was the weakness we were going to be depending on.

Pegasus (Part 102)

“Well, what are you two going to do?”

Casey was suddenly looking right at me.

Balls, I should have stayed asleep.

Tabitha replied, “We are rebels, and have only one goal – The end of the Empire.”

Wow, that went much further than what I would have divulged. Damn, she’s looking right at me.

“Don’t look at me like that. We have the money, and now we need help.”

There was sustained silence apart from the beating of the craft’s engines.

“Your fuckin’ serious,” Casey interjected, “You want to destroy the Empire. And I had you down as lowly drug dealers. I shouldn’t be so quick to judge.”

Leanne got to her feet, the medical device having done its magic. “What do you think Mum, should we join the rebels? They did save me. A swashbuckling adventure perhaps. What do you say?”

Chrissie looked up at the ceiling, then pouted her lips.

“It’s like this girls, we’ve lost all our product. And I couldn’t bear making you the product. We’re bang out of options. But everybody I know that was a rebel, died shortly afterwards. I’ll leave it to you two to decide. There’s no stopping you anyhow.

Casey and Leanne looked at each other.

Pegasus (Part 101)

“Come on Casey,” I roared over the din of laser fire.

She fired another salvo, before quickly looking back at me. Then she sprinted towards the craft. Once inside, I quickly pressed the button for the cargo bay to close as I saw the uniformed men aiming their weapons.

“Get us the hell out of here.”

Laser fire started hitting the ship as the sound of its engines came online.

I went to Tabitha and Leanne, ensuring they had their belts on, before turning my attention to my own.

The thrusters ignited, and I could the ship moving much to my relief. I felt exhausted. There was a familiar smell of drugs.

I must have drifted off for a while because when I woke up everybody, including the supposed pilot was sitting in front of me, and deep in conversation. Casey was holding a medical device in her hand, and a blue beam emanating from it, healing Leanne’s wound. She would be back to full fitness in just a few minutes.

Casey was in deep conversation with her Mum.

“What now? We have lost all our product, we’re wanted criminals, and have nowhere to go?”

“I don’t know Casey. Just concentrate on your sister.”

Yes, they have major problems, I thought to myself.

Pegasus (Part 100)

We ended up dragging her along by her feet.

“Come on Leanne, try to help us. Keep taking steps,” Tabitha implored.

“I’m trying,” she sobbed,

The laser fire was continuing unabated behind us.

I looked up and saw the ship we were heading to. It was not exactly what I had been expecting. It was a medium-sized craft, totally pink, with a large cargo bay entrance to the rear.

As we got close, I stopped helping to hold up Leanne and ran forward to press the button to open it. Tabitha and Leanne immediately fell unceremoniously to the ground. I then ran back, and carried Leanne over my shoulder to the ship, before gently placing her inside. Tabitha stayed tending to her, while I looked out to see if I could see the other two.

For a few moments, all I could see was the flashes of laser fire in the distance. Then, Chrissie appeared out of the corner of my eye sprinting towards me. Then she shouted.

“I’ll get us out of here. Don’t you close up till my Casey is inside.”

She darted past me.

There were more flashes of laser fire.

Then I saw Casey. She was walking backwards towards the ship returning laser fire.

Pegasus (Part 98)

Well fuck me

The blonde didn’t hesitate and immediately opened fire, and then shouted.

“You treacherous bastards, come and get me.”

Then, I heard the sound of laser fire coming from behind me. Myself and Tabitha ran behind some cargo boxes for cover, trying to keep our heads down. A barrage of fire then came from the other direction in response.

A squeal of pain.

Tabitha popped her head up.

“It’s Leanne,” she whispered with a frown, “she’s been shot in the leg. Looks pretty bad.”

I nodded wondering if there was anything we should do.

Then Tabitha made a run for her.

What’s she doing doing?

I peeked to see her struggling to pull Leanne to our position.

Damn it

I leaped up and helped pull her behind the cover. Leanne was sobbing.

Tabitha took charge, while I looked on in dismay wondering why we were helping a stranger.

“It’s okay, Leanne. You are going to be alright. It’s just a laser wound.”

She then pressed down on it with her hands, but blood gurgled in between her fingers.

Wide-eyed she looked at me.

I took off my shirt, and tightly tied it around her injured leg knowing that her life depended on it. The firing continued, and distant roars of pain ran out.

Pegasus (Part 97)

The blond woman took charge pointing a laser at me.

“Casey, go check if they have the merchandise,” she said in a high pitch, old American voice.

She gave us a wide smile as the brunette walked past us to check the craft.

There was a pungent smell of fish coming from further away in the cargo bay. The blond woman face was stern.

“Nobody need to get hurt. The transfer will be completed once everything is in order.”

A shout came from behind us.

“It’s all here Mum.”

The blonde woman pursed her lips.

“I told you not to call me that. For Fuck’s sake, Maura”

They are family.

There was a surreal silence for a few moments.

“Leanne, go help your sister.”

The other woman then walked past us. A sound of rumblings came from behind us, and the occassional sound of bags hitting the surface. As the minutes, passed the woman’s eyes started to blink more often.

“Girls, are you nearly done? We don’t have all day.”

A different voice from before spoke before me.

That must be Leanne

The blond woman he up a small screen and then spoke again.

“You can see that the bitcoin has been transferred. You are free -“

Just then a group in green uniforms appeared from a distant entrance. A shout went out for us to drop our weapons.