Last of the Immortals (The Jessica Keller Chronicles Book 3)
Page 29
Governor Ezardyonic
Governor of Ballard
Sykes
Imperial Saboteur
Krystiana Lemieux
Owner, Lemieux’s Books
Luigi
Manager, McClaren’s
Suvi
AI. Provost, University of Ballard. Last of the Immortals
Cassidy Crncevic, PhD
Librarian, University of Ballard
Author’s Notes
It’s always an interesting case study, trying to envision what the world will be like in the distant future. Jessica Keller was born in 13,405 CE. That’s eleven thousand years and change from now. Earth itself was destroyed, rendered uninhabitable, in the Eleventh Millennium.
What will we be like?
I take solace in studying archaeology and finding out what we as a species were like thousands of years in the past: how we lived, how we worked, how we celebrated life. Other than the toys, not a lot has changed. I don’t imagine much will change in the future.
Humans are humans. And the AI’s we build, if they achieve true sentience, will most likely be human. Suvi is, but that was because several people along the way took pains to help her grow into something more than just a powerfully–smart system. Jessica’s parents did the same. Reminded her what it meant to be human.
What does it mean to be human, anyway?
It means having hopes, dreams, desires. It means wanting to be in control of your own destiny as much as possible, so that what does happen to you happens because you made the choices to be here today, and would make the same choices tomorrow.
The same holds for all the characters here. They chose this path, certain they are doing the right thing. Within their cultural matrix, their heritage, they are. But not everyone agrees on right. And thus you have wars.
I’ve talked other places about some of the fundamental differences between the Republic of Aquitaine and the Fribourg Empire. They both mean well, but want different outcomes based on different cultural values. And then you throw in a woman who was once an officer and warship of The Concord itself, and you have a mess.
And, as with the real world, resolution frequently does not include happily ever after. Ours is a world of friction, confusion, randomness. How we answer that is the most important thing. Showing up to the battle is ninety percent of it.
This is the third Jessica Keller novel. I plan several more, but I wanted to bring things to a resting point here, the book–end to the story we began in Auberon and continued in Queen of the Pirates. Changes are in store, but I don’t want to spoil the fun.
There are also other stories set in this place, all of which contribute to the tapestry that is the Alexandria Station Universe. If you have enjoyed this, there are also books starring Javier Aritza as The Science Officer; Doyle Iwakuma; and Henri Baudin. There will be more, just because I have ten thousand years of space travel in which to work, and a variety of stories to tell.
A note on the present
No book is born in isolation. I might have had an idea, but writing it is just the first step on a long journey. Several other people helped make this story better than it would have otherwise been, and it would be badly remiss of me not to tell them how much I appreciate their patience, understanding and help. Sil and Alexei caught mistakes in language, in concept, in culture that might have otherwise made it to print. Thank you.
And I simply would not be here without my (unindicted) partner in crime, my love, my wife. Leah made it all possible, and continues to make it possible every day. I simply stand amazed that I got so lucky.
A note on the future
Aquitaine has many elements of the old Roman Republic in antiquity. Their culture, their language, their belief structures are different than ours. I have tried to translate the vocabulary and concepts into terms a reader today would understand. Measurements are based on the modern metric system, not because I believe it will still be in use then, but because it makes a handy system many readers will understand. I could have just as easily used the Imperial English system, or the Chinese. Or the Roman.
I hope you will enjoy…
shade and sweet water
bd
West of the Mountains, WA
October 2015
Read about Henri Baudin, one of the founding fathers of The Republic of Aquitaine in The Story Road.
Henri sets out across space to find the perfect wood for his violins. However, star travel takes time, as humanity still digs itself out of the Great Darkness.
On his quest, he gets help both from his shipmates and his muse, the unreachable lady of his dreams. Until his visions lead him to Suvi, the last genie in the last bottle, and they forever alter the course of human civilization.
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About the Author
Blaze Ward writes science fiction in the Alexandria Station universe as well as The Collective. He also write fantasy stories with several characters and series, from an alternate Rome to epic high fantasy in the desert. You can find out more at his website www.blazeward.com, as well as Facebook, Goodreads, and other places.
Blaze’s works are available as ebooks, paper, and audio, and can be found at a variety of online vendors (Kobo, Amazon, and others). His newsletter comes out quarterly, and you can also follow his blog on his website. He really enjoys interacting with fans, and looks forward to any and all questions—even ones about his books!
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Table of Contents
Overture: Suvi
Overture: Johannes
Overture: Emmerich
PART I: LADAUX
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
PART II: BALLARD
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVI
Chapter XXVII
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter XXIX
Chapter XXX
Chapter XXXI
Chapter XXXII
Chapter XXXIII
Chapter XXXIV
PART III: GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG
Chapter XXXV
Chapter XXXVI
Chapter XXXVII
Chapter XXXVIII
Chapter XXXIX<
br />
Chapter XL
Chapter XLI
Chapter XLII
Chapter XLIII
Chapter XLIV
Chapter XLV
Chapter XLVI
Chapter XLVII
Chapter XLVIII
Chapter XLIX
Chapter L
Chapter LI
Chapter LII
Chapter LIII
Chapter LIV
Chapter LV
Chapter LVI
Chapter LVII
Chapter LVIII
Chapter LIX
Chapter LX
Chapter LXI
Chapter LXII
Chapter LXIII
Chapter LXIV
Chapter LXV
Chapter LXVI
Chapter LXVII
Chapter LXVIII
Chapter LXIX
PART IV: AFTERMATH
Epilogue: Tadej
Epilogue: Tomas
Epilogue: Moirrey
Epilogue: Jessica
Last of the Immortals Cast List
Author’s Notes
About the Author
About Knotted Road Press