Human Phase Read online

  As the scan got under way, Gemini reached out and took Eve by the hand. “I’ve always loved you.”

  Eve was the only one down the line who hadn’t offered reconciliation. She’d danced around it and strongly suggested it but never actually come out and said the words. She hadn’t wanted to catch herself in a lie.

  Looking down, she saw the tears trickle from the corners of Gemini’s eyes. Eve didn’t see Creator there. That misbegotten failure of Charlie7’s mixing skills hearkened back to the dark days when new robots were a roll of the dice. Evelyn11 hadn’t come with the capacity for empathy, for compassion. One hundred thirty-one years trapped in a human body had filled that gaping chasm in her soul. This wasn’t the monster that had created and killed thirteen Eves before the rest escaped.

  “I forgive you,” Eve told her in a whisper, just before the scan finished and the upload began.

  They were all human. They were all robots. The future spread out before them with limitless possibilities.

  Wondering what else J.S. Morin has in store for you? Check out his other books and sign up to learn about new releases at www.jsmorin.com

  Author’s Note

  To say that I saw the end of Human Phase coming would be to grossly exaggerate the vision I had when I began the series. Initially, it was the story of humanity’s rebirth told from the perspective of the unwitting recipient of the dubious honor of being the first success story in human cloning. It was Charlie7’s victory, but the story was Eve’s. Early on, she needed help to tell that story. She didn’t understand enough of the world to gain a perspective on what she meant to the world.

  That all changed as the series went on. While Eve began as a runaway experiment, she passed through phases of being cloistered, wrestled over, and fighting the system for her own independence and voice. She was a pioneer in so many ways, and her journey shaped the world that humanity was reborn into.

  Eve fought for human welfare; that was her impact as the history books would write it. But she was also the Second Human Era’s first leader and set a precedent of women being in charge, being the ones best at mathematics and science, being the voice of reason.

  As I explored the development of new human norms and the growing pains of a new society, I looked ahead in time. I needed new generations. I needed Abby. I needed Kaylee. But in the background of every story, even the ones that weren’t hers, I kept Eve as an anchor point for readers to see how far mankind had come. It was once I realized that the series had to encompass Eve’s lifetime that I knew it had to end with her death. Closing the loop on what her death meant to her species was the capstone to her life’s achievement. She defused the major conflict brewing between robots and humans.

  But I was still surprised at the end when she forgave Gemini. In her place, I’m not sure I could have.

  Books by J. S. Morin

  Black Ocean

  Black Ocean is a fast-paced fantasy space opera series about the small crew of the Mobius trying to squeeze out a living. If you love fantasy and sci-fi, and still lament over the cancellation of Firefly, Black Ocean is the series for you!

  Read about the Black Ocean series and discover where to buy at: blackoceanmissions.com

  * * *

  Black Ocean: Astral Prime

  Co-written with author M.A. Larkin, Black Ocean: Astral Prime hearkens back to location-based space sci-fi classics like Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Astral Prime builds on the rich Black Ocean universe, introducing a colorful cast of characters for new and returning readers alike. Come along for the ride as a minor outpost in the middle of nowhere becomes a key point of interstellar conflict.

  Read about the Black Ocean: Astral Prime series and discover where to buy at: astralprimemissions.com

  * * *

  Twinborn Chronicles: Awakening

  Experience the journey of mundane scribe Kyrus Hinterdale who discovers what it means to be Twinborn—and the dangers of getting caught using magic in a world that thinks it exists only in children’s stories.

  * * *

  Twinborn Chronicles: War of 3 Worlds

  Then continue on into the world of Korr, where the Mad Tinker and his daughter try to save the humans from the oppressive race of Kuduks. When their war spills over into both Tellurak and Veydrus, what alliances will they need to forge to make sure the right side wins?

  Read about the Mad Tinker Chronicles and discover where to buy at: twinbornchronicles.com

  * * *

  Robot Geneticists

  Robot Geneticists brings genetic engineering into a post-apocalytic Earth, 1000 years aliens obliterated all life.

  These days, even the humans are built by robots.

  Charlie7 is the oldest robot alive. He’s seen everything from the fall of mankind at the hands of alien invaders to the rebuilding of a living world from the algae up. But what he hasn’t seen in over a thousand years is a healthy, intelligent human. When Eve stumbles into his life, the old robot finally has something worth coming out of retirement for: someone to protect.

  Read about all of the Robot Geneticists books and discover where to buy at: robotgeneticists.com

  * * *

  Sins of Angels

  Co-written with author M.A. Larkin, Sins of Angels is an epic space opera series set 3000 years after the fall of Earth. With the scope of Dune and the adventurous spirit of Indiana Jones, it delivers a conflict that spans galaxies and rests on the spirit of brave researcher Professor Rachel Jordan. Follow the complete saga, and watch as the fate of our species hangs in the balance.

  Read about Sins of Angels and discover where to buy at: sinsofangelsbooks.com

  * * *

  Shadowblood Heir

  Shadowblood Heir explores what would happen if the writer of your favorite epic fantasy TV show died before the show ended—and the show was responsible. If you wonder what it would be like if an epic fantasy world invaded our world, this urban fantasy story might give you that glimpse.

  Read about Shadowblood Heir and discover where to buy at: shadowbloodheir.com

  Email Insiders

  You made it to the end! Maybe you’re just persistent, but hopefully that means you enjoyed the book. But this is just the end of one story. If you’d like reading my books, there are always more on the way!

  Perks of being an Email Insider include:

  Notification of book releases (often with discounts)

  Inside track on beta reading

  Advance review copies (ARCs)

  Access to Inside Exclusive bonus extras and giveaways

  Best of my blog about fantasy, science fiction, and the art of worldbuilding

  * * *

  Sign up for the my Email Insiders list at:

  jsmorin.com/updates

  About the Author

  I am a creator of worlds and a destroyer of words. As a fantasy writer, my works range from traditional epics to futuristic fantasy with starships. I have worked as an unpaid Little League pitcher, a cashier, a student library aide, a factory grunt, a cubicle drone, and an engineer—there is some overlap in the last two.

  Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that’s all I do for a living.

  I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author’s privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don’t dance, can’t sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.

  My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.

  Connect with me online

  jsmorin.com

 

 

  er>