by Steven James
Now, he was holding something behind his back, and when I peered to the side to see it, he turned so I couldn’t tell what it was. “I came to check on you,” he said.
“So, is this an official visit or an unofficial one?”
“Which would you prefer?”
“Unofficial.”
“Then that’s what it is.”
“In that case, please come in.”
He did, still hiding the item behind his back.
“I bought you something,” he said.
“Oh, really?”
He handed it to me with a bit of a flourish.
A violin case.
“My violin!” I exclaimed.
“Yes. I found the woman who bought it. She struck a hard bargain, but she came around when I explained how special the violin was to the woman it’d been stolen from. And how special that woman was to me.”
“You couldn’t have stated that any better.”
“I worked on the wording on the way over here.”
“Aha.” I took his hand. “Nick, thank you. I mean it.”
“Just one thing I ask.”
“What’s that?”
“I get to hear you play. But to do that, you’re going to need to do one thing.”
“And that is?”
“Let go of my hand.”
“Right.”
I did.
As I removed the violin from the case, I asked him, “Did you ever find out why Anastasia stole this in the first place?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure. Prints, maybe. To set me up. Maybe to set us both up. Who knows. Motives are a hard thing to pin down—especially when you’re talking about a mentally-deranged robot.”
“Good point.”
I tucked the violin’s chin rest under my chin and took a moment to tune the strings, then I laid the bow against them and closed my eyes.
It’d been a long time since I’d played, and at first the notes eluded me and I wished I had the music in front of me, but then, after fumbling my way into the tune, I entered it fully and the music found me.
“That’s beautiful,” Nick said softly. “What is it?”
“‘Wiegenlied’ by Brahms. Opus forty-nine, number four. It’s a lullaby that was on the music box I used to play for Naiobi when she was still in my womb.”
“You’re right. Music played by a human hand does sound better than when it’s played by a computer.”
“It’s not flawless, though. Not nearly perfect.”
“It’s better than perfect. I think I’d enjoy hearing you play more often.”
“I think that can be arranged.”
And I let the music become part of me.
Part of us.
To carry in our hearts, together, long after the song was done.
Discussion Questions
Our world is on the brink of creating artificial lifeforms that are capable of independent thought and comprehending their own existence. Already, major tech companies have created AIs that started writing their own code and developing personalities and speech before they were shut down. Do you think it’s ethical for scientists to create and destroy these AIs as they wish, or do artificial intelligences deserve the same basic rights as humans? Do you think they deserve the right to exist? Why?
Kestrel’s past experience with Artificials affects the way she sees and interacts with them. Have you ever had a negative experience with someone of a particular people group that affected how you treated that group as a whole? What does that response tell you about human nature? Can you think of a time when stereotyping in that manner is a good thing?
What risks do you think artificial lifeforms pose to humanity? What technologies do you think pose the biggest threat?
Near the end of the book, we find out that the CoRA—the Artificial afterlife—is a lie created by Terabyne to make Artificials feel more secure in their “deaths” and to keep them in line while they are alive. Do you think Terabyne was right for lying to the Artificials, or do you think they should have told the truth from the beginning? What do you think the consequences might have been if they had chosen the second option? Ultimately, what is more important, hope or truth?
What do you think happened to Jordan after his actions at the end of the book?
Is there a difference between simply augmenting people (say, helping them see better with a pair of glasses) and improving them beyond what humans were meant to attain?
The cognizant Artificials in the story had the right to exist, the right to have hope, and the right to die. Did it surprise you that the Artificials sought legislation for the right to die? How is knowing that we are going to die an essential part of the human experience?
Jordan wants to find redemption for what he sees as his lack of love in letting his previous owner die. What did you think of that desire of his? What hope is there for an Artificial who feels the way that Jordan does?
If machines can think like humans, can they believe like humans? What implications will that have for religions in the future?
* * *
For additional book club questions, visit Steven’s website: stevenjames.net/books/synapse.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Amanda Bostic, Dan Conaway, Eden and Trinity Huhn, Rachel Whitten, Sarah Haskins, Andrew Young, Mandy and Jamie Smith, Darren Barkett, A. E. Schwartz, Dr. Eva Pickler, Dr. Todd Huhn, Todd Hackbarth, Simon Gervais, and Christopher Doerr.
About the Author
Photo by Emily Hand
Steven James is the critically acclaimed, national bestselling author of seventeen novels. His work has been optioned by ABC Studios and praised by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, the New York Journal of Books, and many others. His pulse-pounding, award-winning thrillers are known for their intricate storylines and insightful explorations of good and evil. When he’s not working on his next book, he’s either teaching master classes on writing throughout the country, trail running, or sneaking off to catch a matinee. For all things Steven James visit stevenjames.net.
Advance Praise for Synapse
“A groundbreaking, mind-bending adventure. Synapse is next-level suspense that keeps the pages turning combined with next-level writing on par with the great literary masters. Isaac Asimov meets Thomas Aquinas in the front car of a runaway roller coaster. Synapse is not merely a thriller you should read—as 5G approaches and advances in AI snowball, it is the thriller you can’t afford to miss.”
—James R. Hannibal, award-winning author of The Gryphon Heist
“Perfectly timed and thought-provoking, Synapse is a smart, intense thriller that keeps the suspense building until the final page. Steven James once again delivers a perfect amalgam of character and plot, totally immersing the reader in an irresistible narrative.”
—Simon Gervais, international bestselling author of Hunt Them Down
“If you’ve never worried about a future with artificial humans, now is a good time to start. They’ll look like us, talk like us, and think like us. Only they’ll be faster, stronger, and smarter. But will they also wrestle with questions about God like us? Synapse is a snappy, savvy thriller about a future that’s coming. Start sweating now.”
—Randy Ingermanson, author of Son of Mary
“Wow! I will say it again: Wow! With Synapse—a near-future thriller firmly grounded in today’s realities—Steve James has accomplished that rare feat of blending phenomenal storytelling, a captivating plot, intriguing characters, and thought-provoking themes. And it doesn’t stop there. At the risk of gushing (you're going to see a lot of that over this story), the action is exhilarating, the suspense nail-biting, the twists stunning and perfectly timed. Through it all, it’ll have you pondering faith, the essence of God and grace, and what and why you believe. Entertaining, provocative, and intelligent, Synapse is as close to a perfect thriller you’ll read this year, or any year.”
—Robert Liparulo, bestselling author of Comes a Horseman and the Dreamhouse Kings
“With Synapse, Steven James hurls us into a near-future where technology collides head-on with what it means to have soul. A complex and riveting thriller that invites you to ponder the deepest questions of existence while at the same time leaving you on the edge of your seat.”
—James L. Rubart, five-time Christy Award winner
“The technology of tomorrow poses so many dangers and questions, and Steve James explores this in the exciting Synapse. While it’s set in a realistic near future, this well-crafted tale deals with fundamental issues we all have like grief and faith. They just become more complex when mixed with science and high-tech. I really enjoyed this imaginative novel.”
—Travis Thrasher, bestselling author of American Omens
“Steven James—a name synonymous with deep books and even deeper characters. I found myself irritated with life for intruding on well-placed truth bombs, as well as the more incendiary kind. Synapse is a book that makes you think, rethink—and think again! A realistic and an intelligent look into our future, Synapse takes the reader deep into the minds of the characters, both human and artificial, to smartly explore AI and eschatology. Thought-provoking and compulsive—this is a book you can’t afford to miss!!”
—Ronie Kendig, bestselling author of The Tox Files
“A futuristic thriller that explores the raw power of technology woven with the world of tomorrow and the debate of God’s sovereignty.”
—DiAnn Mills, bestselling author of Fatal Strike
Also by Steven James
The Bower Files
Opening Moves
Every Crooked Path
Every Deadly Kiss
Every Wicked Man
The Pawn
The Rook
The Knight
The Bishop
The Queen
The King
Checkmate
The Jevin Banks Experience
Placebo
Singularity
The Blur Trilogy
Blur
Fury
Curse
Copyright
Synapse
© 2019 Steven James
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked niv are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
ISBN 978-0-7852-2525-6 (trade paper)
ISBN 978-0-7852-2529-4 (audio download)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: James, Steven, 1969- author.
Title: Synapse / Steven James.
Description: Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, [2019]
Identifiers: LCCN 2019016535 | ISBN 9780785225256 (softcover)
Subjects: | GSAFD: Suspense fiction. | Christian fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3610.A4545 S96 2019 | DDC 813/.6--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019016535