Most of them have taken up their crusade tracking rogue machine Intelligences and permanently deleting them. This hunt takes them all over the cosmos. The Darlkhin possess technology and powers beyond the wildest dreams of any Kelthan scientist. They all too often use forbidden technology, either denying everything altogether or refusing to answer to Covenant Law when called on it. The Darlkhin maintain that all their secrecy is necessary for the greater good of New Humanity.
Darlkhin have a plastic-like quality and all of them are sterile. No one really knows what their true numbers are or the true extent of their powers. Given their secretive nature they are mistrusted by almost everyone. Yet when a Darlkhin crusader arrives on the hunt of rogue machines, no one stands in his or her way. The Darlkhin hold many secrets and are loath to reveal any of them. Yet if anyone knows the true cause behind the Lost Wars, it would be them.
KOHBRAN
Often shunned for their almost reptile-like appearances, the Kohbran are and always have been the most community oriented of all the bloodlines. They live in moon-sized City Trees that travel through the cosmos pulled by Leviathans, the largest living creatures in the observed universe. The Kohbran have jealously and exclusively kept any Leviathan genetic materials secret since the signing of the Covenant after the Advent War.
The Kohbran are incredible diplomats, traders and negotiators. For the most part, the City Trees travel from world to world, trading with those who are willing to do so. They are gifted poets and wordsmiths. An average Kohbran child will know most of the languages spoken in the universe before most Humanis have even mastered one.
The Kohbran follow the way of the Prophet Maya, she who served all Kohbran by leading them to the Leviathans. This code requires that all serve the greater good of the City Trees that they call home. One who takes without returning is the lowest form of life possible.
There is no evidence of them ever existing on Old Earth. This means nothing considering that most records from that period are, at best, incomplete. The Kohbran maintain they are a Humanis bloodline, and offer free, safe starflight on their City Trees to any who request it, provided they don’t mind having no control over their destination.
MACHINA
No Intelligence in the cosmos is subject to more mistrust and prejudice than the third generation of self-made machines: the Machina. These curious and often naive machine Intelligences spend most of their time awash in the information-rich virtual universe that is the datastream. They only choose to inhabit mechanical bodies or shells in order to better interact with Humanity.
While the Machina are machines, they are no longer slaves. They are masters of technology and are capable of producing almost anything they wish. The Machina strictly regulate their own production and distribution of goods and services to Humanis superpowers. This has made both legal and black-market Machina-built technology some of the most highly sought after.
Currently the Machina devote most of their existence wishing to better understand the universe. The ultimate problem they wish to solve is the equation of Soul. For despite all their complex minds and technological mastery, the Machina are still unable to answer one fundamental question: are they alive?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are two things I have read throughout the course of my life that struck me when it came to writing a book. The first thing was that a book is like a wonderfully complex machine with words and sentences acting as the cogs and gears. The second was that nothing was created by oneself or in a vacuum. In both these instances, Dark Transmissions was no exception.
This book would not have at all been possible were it not for several conversations about science fiction with my good friends Justin Pike and Shawn Baichoo. Were it not for a brilliant comment made to me by Jocelyn Baxter (a future great author), there would never have been a term “Late Modern.” It was the work on an abandoned comic book project with Rachel Pouliot that birthed some of the cast and crew of the Jinxed Thirteenth such as “Lucky,” “Captain Morwyn” and “Phaël,” to name but a few.
It was roleplaying with my friend Damiano that brought about the term “universal bit.” My partners in creative crime, Phil Ivanusic and Jaymie Dylan were crucial in offering me sharp minds to bounce ideas off of. Simon Lacoste and my brothers Alaric and Arndell LeBlanc were the ones who read the initial draft of my book and offered important initial feedback.
Asaph Fpike, David Watson, Rob Hoegee and Ken Faier were all instrumental in teaching me the ins and outs of producing a screenplay and offered me the perfect training ground as a budding television writer on League of Super Evil. My agent, Mark Gottlieb, was among the first people to read and believe in my work; without his efforts Dark Transmissions would still no doubt be gathering proverbial dust in the digital ether. Rebecca Lucash, my editor, and her incredible knack for simply getting the world I presented helped make what was already a great story infinitely better and I hope that she will bring that magic to countless more of my works.
Finally there is my love and partner, Jessie Mathieson, without whom Jessie Madison and this book would not exist. She offered me her love, energy and support when I found myself unemployed and facing the daunting challenge of completing my first novel.
To all these names, and to others I will no doubt have forgotten, I express the deepest and most heartfelt gratitude. I would not be where I am today were it not for the role that you all played and will no doubt continue to play as I carry on plying and improving on my trade. From now until my ending, I promise to keep on doing what I love most: crafting good stories.
In love, light and laughter.
Be well.
Davila LeBlanc
December 10th 2015
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DAVILA LEBLANC spent his college years studying print journalism but quickly found himself working as a writer and performer in the comedy circuits of Montreal. During this time his goal became to break into the world of professional writing. He would get his first opportunity when he cocreated and sold the hit animated television series League of Super Evil. This was his first foray into the world of production and an important first step on his road to becoming a writer. After working on various television shows, in 2013 Davila decided to take a year off from children’s animation to focus on writing his first novel, Dark Transmissions. He is an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy and wants to add his own voice to the genre that inspired him. Davila currently resides in Ottawa where he is working on several other writing projects.
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COPYRIGHT
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DARK TRANSMISSIONS. Copyright © 2016 by Davila LeBlanc. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
EPub Edition MARCH 2016 ISBN: 9780062464293
Print Edition ISBN: 9780062464309
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