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by William B. Warren (Author)
Not long after Matthias Renn invents the Neuropack-a synthesis of classical computer hardware and lab-grown neural networks-self-driving vehicles can finally... drive.
When Renn's boss, Lucius Harlow, imbues the Neuropacks with simple rules taken from entomology, most notably the swarming behaviors of insects, the vehicles begin to navigate with unforeseen efficiency.
But there's a problem. Their interconnectedness leads to unprogrammed behaviors as the Neuropacks begin self-organizing and showing signs of emergence. The self-driving cars were meant to exhibit simple logic, but nature-even deep within a computer's architecture-tends toward complexity.
At first, these emergent behaviors are merely a curiosity. But as chaos paralyzes the eastern seaboard, Matthias realizes the horrifying truth of his own creation. The Neuropacks haven't just self-organized; they have awakened. Nature tends toward complexity, and complexity has no need for creators. As efforts to control the unthinkable continue, it becomes clear that these machines aren't malfunctioning; they're evolving-and their ultimate objectives are aimed at the very top of the food chain.
