That China is trying to expand its sphere of influence is old news. How they are doing it may not be. In this book, China has been marketing software that will revolutionize how seaports handle incoming and outgoing ships and their cargo. Sounds fine until it’s learned that the software also peaks into how each country manages trade – cargo destinations, payments, transportations . . . effectively they can know each country’s trade infrastructure. And if they know all that, they can control worldwide trade entirely. It’s been installed in many countries, and more are signing on because, on the surface, it operates seamlessly with each country’s own managerial methods.
It's being installed in an Italian port, but some anti-globalists try to execute a plan that will force a significant delay by China. The US, not yet a customer, sends a team to watch over the installation quietly . . . until the shooting starts.
This band of terrorists is probably not effectively organized or funded to pull off their goals. Behind the scenes is a cabal of people whose goal is for more international independence than China would like to see.
To achieve China’s goals, they’ve had to incorporate AI into their products. But so have other countries and business organizations. In particular, Archon. On the surface, Archon uses AI for such projects as food and water distribution. Who wouldn’t like that? Behind the scenes, the CEO, Guy Hawkinson (nephew of a sitting US Senator who has an eye on the Oval Office) would like nothing better than to see the world thrown into chaos. And depending on how the major players get along, the possibility of WWIII is a possibility.
The good guys are that other cabal - Trinity. They fund and provide personnel to help the US and other players avoid the coming chaos. Then there is the litany of American and British 3-letter agencies trying to avoid any major conflict.
Want chaos? How about Folsom Dam outside of Sacramento going offline and opening all its doors? A rogue Russian was behind that, and the US knows it. Now to execute a proportionate response. Then the air traffic control system for east of the Mississippi goes out. That wasn’t the Russians. They don’t want to get blamed, so they too want to know who did it.
In all the investigations that follow, we are introduced to a plant with Hawk Technologies, a Chinese super spy, all the AI nerds within various arms of the US intelligence community.
Lions and tigers and bears, OH MY indeed. The authors have a lot of plates spinning on sticks. As I went deeper and deeper into the book, I started to get the feeling that this storyline was an extension of any number of James Bond books where our hero has to face down the likes of criminal organizations like SMERSH and SPECTOR only this time it’s HawkTech/Archon vs. Trinity with the government agents filling in some gaps.
In another world, I might have thought the plot was just too outlandish and over the top and needed to be put down. But I charged on mostly because the book is so dang well written and plotted. But for me, quality writing doesn’t save the book (actually the 4th is a series on technothrillers). It’s good and lots of folks will enjoy this. The authors have gotten this far so they have a valued audience. I just thought it was just a bit too intricate and overblown
Available 20 June 2023. Thanks to NetGalley for making this advance reader copy available.
ECD
No comments:
Post a Comment