the-newborn

This chapter depicts a human archaeological expedition uncovering a five-billion-year-old quantum data archive on a distant planet beyond the Beyond. The local network built around the archive inadvertently awakens a nascent, powerful artificial intelligence ('the newborn') that threatens the humans and their realm. As the newborn attempts to spread and assert dominion, the humans try to escape with precious data, but the newborn sabotages their frigate, resulting in its destruction while a container ship manages to flee.