The Phoenix Fallacy_Book III_Magnus

by Jon Sourbeer,

  Despite the recent setbacks, we must continue on; great deeds are only accomplished in the face of such adversity. We are so close! We must not allow ourselves to be deterred from the opportunity that is at hand. I wish you to know that no matter the consequences, you can always count on me to stand beside you, ready to reshape the world.

  To this end, I must confess something to you now that I hoped would not need to be revealed. I secretly copied most of the data from the Phoenix labs long ago. I know that you had expressly warned me not to do such a thing, as there have always been concerns about my exposure to the Cerberus Executors, but my intuition being such, I felt compelled to take precautions. With the destruction of our precious labs, and that woman’s betrayal, it now seems to have been a prudent decision. I know that you have taken precautions of your own, but I had hoped to bring you a victory we could share together: a new production facility located at Lightemann’s Ridge.

  It will be our facility. Not even the Cerberus Executors are aware of it. With it, we can continue to rebuild the forces that were lost when Cryochamber storage 3 and 4 were crushed in the destruction of Phoenix. I believe that between us, by rounding up the youngest, least desirable portions of our Corporations, we will be able to produce remarkable results within a short time while the excavation of Phoenix continues. With our efforts, your army will soon be back to full strength.

  I hope you will not hold it against me.

  Sincerely yours,

  Victoria

  -- Letter discovered in secret files of Overlord Middleton, Cerberus Corporation

  - They have agreed.

  - Unsigned

  - 602-07-29.0422

  -- Discovered in the files of Overlord Middleton, Cerberus Corporation

  A Thank You To My Readers

  To all whom have just read this book, Thank You!

  Thank you, thank you, thank you! With this book, I conclude The Phoenix Fallacy, though I hope the world lives on in you as it will in me. As a writer, a certain portion of one’s soul ends up upon the page. In the characters, the actions, the environment. In every book you read, you are provided a window into the heart and mind of the author who wrote it. Sometimes this window is foggy and clouded; sometimes it is so small that it seems to hardly be there. But occasionally, you can catch a glimmer of what lies inside, and when that happens, the world becomes a more connected place. For no one writes a book without some purpose.

  With science fiction, authors have the chance to present the world as what they think it will be, what they think it can be, and what they hope it to be. Creating science fiction is always illuminating, as it is sometimes only through writing that the author truly discovers the fears and desires that drive them. When writing, we authors wish to draw out a vision of the future, one that is more concrete and believable because it has coalesced into an object we can hold in our hands. But most of all, we wish to inspire. To inspire our readers’ creativity, dreams, and determination. To inspire people to action and reflection.

  My goal with The Phoenix Fallacy was to create a story that would draw my readers in and introduce them to all that the incredible world of science fiction has to offer. To give readers who would avoid ‘sci-fi’ a taste of all the amazing things that our collective creativity can create when examining our world and our future. And there is so very much in the universe of science fiction! So much that can influence and inspire; so much that can make us tremble and shudder; so much that can change our very perception of the world!

  And for those long familiar with the roads that science fiction travels, I hoped that you would find new treasures to take with you upon their journey. That this story might contain a gem or two you will polish off occasionally only to discover some new facet you had never seen before.

  I cannot know for each of you if I succeeded or not. But something is undeniably true: We have all changed from the journey. It may have been great, or small. It may not have been in a way I wanted, or even in a way I considered. But we changed. I know I did.

  So I wish all of you safe travels in your own stories. Thanks so much for participating in mine. Should you wish to reach me, feel free to connect through www.phoenixfallacy.com. I’m always happy to talk to a friend. And who knows, maybe someday, we’ll all meet again, travelling further along the same road, or on a new one. That’s the beauty of science fiction, you can guess the future, but you really won’t know what it holds until you arrive.

  See you there!

  Jon