This is the 3rd book of a time-travel series and the 1st in a subseries.
In the first 2 books (_The Gordian Protocol_ and _The Valkyrie
Protocol_), universes were destroyed (time travel can be very dangerous
to the surroundings, thus the Protocols; it can also create parallel
universes). This book is much more modest, a science fiction police
procedural, with a different set of protagonists (several of the
principal characters in the first 2 books do appear).

The series is set during the later part of the 30th century. One
time-line, Sys-Gov, is our future. It is very utopian, post-scarcity,
and with AIs fully integrated in society (most humans have an AI
companion). The other time-line with time travel, Admin, had a terrible
scare over an AI (the kind that would answer the question �Is there a
God?� with �Now there is!�) several centuries in the past. They have
enforced extreme restrictions on AI on the entire Solar System ever
since (Earth�s daughter colonies didn�t agree, there were wars). Thus,
its police force (Department of Temporal Investigation, DTI) is much
more militarized than Sys-Gov�s (Sys-Pol). While Sys-Gov�s technology is
generally more advanced, both have artificial bodies (synthoids) that
human minds (via a destructive process) can be transferred to (Sys-Gov
AIs can reside in them as well). They both have taken steps (though
different) to prevent duplication of minds.

The setting for most of the action is in an immense structure (100 KM
high, 300 KM wide, 500? KM long), Janus, 1 billion residents, floating
in the atmosphere of Saturn (negative matter provides the buoyancy).

The book starts with a prologue that shows the murders. 2 synthoids are
transferring their minds from a space station in orbit about Earth to
Janus. Everything works fine, relay station to relay station, until the
last step when the receiver and its backups on Janus shut down
simultaneously and the data packages containing their minds is lost in
the clouds of Saturn. Because of the prohibitions against duplication,
there are no copies to resend.

The book proper starts 10 days earlier. Sys-Gov and Admin (despite
serious philosophical differences) have to work together (which they had
in the previous book). As part of this, an officer exchange program for
the police forces is under way. Jonas Shigeki of DTI has the final say
on both participants (political reasons) of the initial pilot exchange.
He rejects the choices offered to him by Sys-Pol and �randomly� selects
Isaac Cho (30 years old, just made the rank of Detective). Despite the
fact that Issac dislikes what he has heard of Admin, DTI especially,
Jason accepts him and introduces him (and his AI companion, Cephalie) to
Susan Cantrell of DTI*, who is also about 30 and had transitioned to a
synthoid several years earlier (her synthoid is a very good match to her
original physical body). She will be acting as his deputy for several
months (which might be extended). They board a fast ship and are off to
Saturn. Ten days later, their ship is approaching Saturn, when they are
assigned to solve the murders in the prologue (everybody else who could
had been assigned to the case is tied up investigating a very
high-profile case of cyber vandalism).

So Isaac and Susan (who is definitely experiencing fish out of water
syndrome - the Moon has an atmosphere?! Hotels can print furniture as
you require? etc.) start the investigation. They find clues, which lead
to other clues or to blind alleys (Cephalie does much of the grunt work,
in-between snarky comments). They find people with secrets, most
unrelated to their investigation. They discover the existence of a
mysterious figure who appears to be the murderer, but he is hard to
find. When he is cornered, Susan plays Horatio at the Bridge (gets badly
chewed up in the process but her synthoid body was repaired) to protect
Isaac, but the mysterious figure disappears on them. Susan notices the
critical clue, Isaac realizes where to capture the murderer, and the
case is solved.

Isaac and Susan return in _The Wetall File_, to be published by Baen in
June 2023.

* Jason has a secret criteria which both Isaac and Susan meet - Jason�s
DTI colleagues don�t know about his secret criteria either; I wonder if
his boss knows. He does reveal it to the heads of Sys-Pol in the
epilogue. People who have read the book should not find this revelation
surprising.

--
"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_.
�-----------------------------------------------------
Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

On 1/6/2023 11:52 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:
> This is the 3rd book of a time-travel series and the 1st in a subseries.
> In the first 2 books (_The Gordian Protocol_ and _The Valkyrie
> Protocol_), universes were destroyed (time travel can be very dangerous
> to the surroundings, thus the Protocols; it can also create parallel
> universes). This book is much more modest, a science fiction police
> procedural, with a different set of protagonists (several of the
> principal characters in the first 2 books do appear).
>
> The series is set during the later part of the 30th century. One
> time-line, Sys-Gov, is our future. It is very utopian, post-scarcity,
> and with AIs fully integrated in society (most humans have an AI
> companion). The other time-line with time travel, Admin, had a terrible
> scare over an AI (the kind that would answer the question ³Is there a
> God?² with ³Now there is!²) several centuries in the past. They have
> enforced extreme restrictions on AI on the entire Solar System ever
> since (Earth¹s daughter colonies didn¹t agree, there were wars). Thus,
> its police force (Department of Temporal Investigation, DTI) is much
> more militarized than Sys-Gov¹s (Sys-Pol). While Sys-Gov¹s technology is
> generally more advanced, both have artificial bodies (synthoids) that
> human minds (via a destructive process) can be transferred to (Sys-Gov
> AIs can reside in them as well). They both have taken steps (though
> different) to prevent duplication of minds.
>
> The setting for most of the action is in an immense structure (100 KM
> high, 300 KM wide, 500? KM long), Janus, 1 billion residents, floating
> in the atmosphere of Saturn (negative matter provides the buoyancy).
>
> The book starts with a prologue that shows the murders. 2 synthoids are
> transferring their minds from a space station in orbit about Earth to
> Janus. Everything works fine, relay station to relay station, until the
> last step when the receiver and its backups on Janus shut down
> simultaneously and the data packages containing their minds is lost in
> the clouds of Saturn. Because of the prohibitions against duplication,
> there are no copies to resend.
>
> The book proper starts 10 days earlier. Sys-Gov and Admin (despite
> serious philosophical differences) have to work together (which they had
> in the previous book). As part of this, an officer exchange program for
> the police forces is under way. Jonas Shigeki of DTI has the final say
> on both participants (political reasons) of the initial pilot exchange.
> He rejects the choices offered to him by Sys-Pol and ³randomly² selects
> Isaac Cho (30 years old, just made the rank of Detective). Despite the
> fact that Issac dislikes what he has heard of Admin, DTI especially,
> Jason accepts him and introduces him (and his AI companion, Cephalie) to
> Susan Cantrell of DTI*, who is also about 30 and had transitioned to a
> synthoid several years earlier (her synthoid is a very good match to her
> original physical body). She will be acting as his deputy for several
> months (which might be extended). They board a fast ship and are off to
> Saturn. Ten days later, their ship is approaching Saturn, when they are
> assigned to solve the murders in the prologue (everybody else who could
> had been assigned to the case is tied up investigating a very
> high-profile case of cyber vandalism).
>
> So Isaac and Susan (who is definitely experiencing fish out of water
> syndrome - the Moon has an atmosphere?! Hotels can print furniture as
> you require? etc.) start the investigation. They find clues, which lead
> to other clues or to blind alleys (Cephalie does much of the grunt work,
> in-between snarky comments). They find people with secrets, most
> unrelated to their investigation. They discover the existence of a
> mysterious figure who appears to be the murderer, but he is hard to
> find. When he is cornered, Susan plays Horatio at the Bridge (gets badly
> chewed up in the process but her synthoid body was repaired) to protect
> Isaac, but the mysterious figure disappears on them. Susan notices the
> critical clue, Isaac realizes where to capture the murderer, and the
> case is solved.
>
> Isaac and Susan return in _The Wetall File_, to be published by Baen in
> June 2023.
>
> * Jason has a secret criteria which both Isaac and Susan meet - Jason¹s
> DTI colleagues don¹t know about his secret criteria either; I wonder if
> his boss knows. He does reveal it to the heads of Sys-Pol in the
> epilogue. People who have read the book should not find this revelation
> surprising.

So, did you like the book ? I have the first two books in my SBR.

Lynn

On Friday, January 6, 2023 at 2:05:44 PM UTC-7, Lynn McGuire wrote:

> So, did you like the book ? I have the first two books in my SBR.

David Weber is branching out to do a science-fiction _detective story_?

This comes as a surprise. Perhaps he was inspired by Isaac Asimov.

John Savard

On 1/10/2023 5:31 PM, Quadibloc wrote:
> On Friday, January 6, 2023 at 2:05:44 PM UTC-7, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>
>> So, did you like the book ? I have the first two books in my SBR.
>
> David Weber is branching out to do a science-fiction _detective story_?
>
> This comes as a surprise. Perhaps he was inspired by Isaac Asimov.
>
> John Savard

David Weber has written military SF, light fantasy, dark fantasy, space
opera, time travel, young adult, and space invasion stories. Why not SF
detective ?
https://www.davidweber.net/books

Lynn