Harmony is a mirage.
Sure, there is safety. Everybody receives a predefined purpose before birth. And scarcity is nonexistent! But there is a hidden cost.
The law has reduced free will to a fantasy. People can make any choice they want, but obedience and selfless dedication to purpose are the only ones that do not invite punishment. Beneath the imposed veil of peace and abundance, however, is a grim reality where torture is but one thought away and war continues to fester in distant outposts. This collection of interconnected stories exposes the pitfalls ordinary citizens face under the watchful regime that rules our Milky Way, but they also redefine the meaning and origin of life itself.
◆ The Mandate of Purpose. Golmenus runs afoul with the law when he allows his daughter to develop an unsanctioned passion.
◆ The Illness of Wayward Citizens. Because he indulged a dangerous urge, Solla faces serious charges, but as he navigates his punishments, he learns he has a secret mandate-one he can never remember.
◆ Duty Between Fire and Ice. A looming volcanic eruption threatens Colfred's family. When he tries to save them from the coming disaster, he realizes that the biggest hazard he must overcome is not from nature.
◆ The Refugee Conundrum. When a starship commander responds to a call for help, he never foresees that his choices would pit him against the galaxy's most feared outlaws.
◆ The Recycler's Apprentice. As a scientist, Galhan enjoys a cozy lifestyle. That changes when he assembles a banned lifeform. During the ensuing punishment, he discovers that to create a life, others must die.
◆ Doomsday. Soon after Deepallan reports an anomaly near a major colony, the unthinkable occurs: rebellion. While shocked, he also knows the authorities would never allow such an outrage to go unchecked. Are those events connected in some fashion he has yet to discover, and could the mayhem spread to other worlds?
◆ Brew of Chaos. A sudden explosion rattles Milveena and she realizes she has to warn somebody in any of the governing bureaus. However, nobody responds. Cut off, terrified, and threatened by unknown winged marauders, she races toward an ancient transmitter-a relic. Can she arrive in time, and will her efforts help end the violence that has engulfed her city?
