Fifteen years after the incarceration of the brilliant young computer scientist in a secret cryogenics facility in San Diego, a new Regional Manager, Patrick Calloway discovers the identity of the occupant of cryo vat 75. Carsten Sorensen had been the first recipient of Cybio Inc.’s biocompatible Silex computer chip and the projects lead programmer who broke all the rules by installing his own modified version of the Anthropos operating system with startling results. His secret incarceration was almost forgotten after a tragic accident killed the small group of people who knew he was ‘on ice’. Fascinated by his discovery Calloway learns that under the influence of the rogue operating system Carsten had become almost superhuman, absorbing information at astounding rates and optimising his body including curing his diabetes and developing the ability for self-healing even after being shot and stabbed. Shadowy members of the security forces became concerned that Carsten might leave Cybio to pursue his own agenda or even worse be captured by a foreign Government or criminal organisation. The solution was to secure him in cryostatis until they could work out how to control the scientist and his rogue chip. A decision is made to recover Carsten with the aim of persuading him to cooperate in the extraction of the unique operating system he carried and the development of a new military ‘M’ version that will exploit the endurance and self-healing properties of Carsten’s chip. Dr Mary McClusky, Carsten’s boss at Cybio and the focus of his affections is persuaded to help with recovering Carsten and in return, if the Silex-M project proved successful she could have the opportunity to find a way to disable his chip and return him to normal life. Everything went well with the recovery and Carsten, much to McClusky’s surprise agreed to help the CIA develop the military version of his chip. However, he wanted nothing to do with Mary who he wrongly blamed for his incarceration. Within a few months, Carsten delivered the Silex-M chip and operating system, which was loaded into a special ops team who proved almost invincible in the field. One of the enhancements Carsten added was the ability to withstand severe injury in action and continue to function, with pain, blood loss and shock suppressed until the injured operative reached safety. Then the chip put them into a light coma whilst it implemented rapid healing. The amazing performance of the first team carrying the Silex-M chip came to the attention of Delta Force who wanted control of this project for its own ends. Delta Force Commander in Chief, Tom Carr, would stop at nothing to secure control, even if it meant clearing away some civilian obstacles. With Carr in charge, deployment of the Silex-M technology led to the formation of an elite Delta Force unit called DEFLATT1, who were the envy of all the military services. Then problems began to appear, firstly with Carsten’s health and subsequently with DEFLATT1 team members who had been wounded in action and undergone rapid self-healing. Was this the result of the huge workload placed on Carsten and the massive overclocking of the soldiers endocrine system. In a separate development, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta Centre identified unusual clusters of Graves’ disease or hyperthyroidism. A fluke observation linked these clusters to the roll out of the Silex-DB1 diabetes chip and a race began to discover what was happening and what level of threat this presented to the millions of recipients around the world. Were Carsten Pietersen’s illness, the problems appearing within the Delta Force teams and the threat to the massively successful diabetes chip connected? With the Silex-M project classed as Top Secret and Carsten Pietersen officially dead, it fell to an adhoc team thrown together by circumstances, to find the answers before a worldwide epidemic, national scandal and uncontrolled panic set in.

Includes the transactions of the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society, Cork Cuvierian Society, and Dublin Natural History Society.