Logos Run

Table of Contents

 

 

“William C. Dietz is one of the grand masters of space opera.
Logos Run
is full of action, adventure, intrigue, and surprises . . . The well thought-out story line is populated by interesting characters representing a civilization on a downward spiral.” —
Midwest Book Review

“Dietz’s stories have in common intrigue, action, romance, and a well-realized setting.” —
Booklist

Praise for
RUNNER

“Probably [Dietz’s] best-realized character to date . . . An exciting series of chase scenes, escapes and captures, and high adventure against the backdrop of exotic other worlds.” —
Chronicle

“Engaging . . . action packed . . . This novel stands out with its intriguing spiritual explorations.” —
Publishers Weekly

“Far-future, planet-hopping adventure . . . pulse-pounding action sequences make for a fast and enjoyable read . . . full of inventive concepts and . . . a richly detailed setting. For fans of space opera and action/adventure, this one is not to be missed.” —
Kirkus Reviews

“Dietz’s honorable addition to depictions of the far future, from Wells’s
Time Machine
to Asimov’s
Pebble in the Sky
to more recently the works of Clarke and Baxter, is distinguished by the brisk pacing and fleshed-out action scenes that have already made him a respected name in military SF.” —
Booklist

“An exciting thriller . . . [a] strong science fiction tale.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“A tough, moving novel of future warfare.” —David Drake, author of the Hammer’s Slammers novels

“Exciting and suspenseful . . . real punch.”—
Publishers Weekly

“Dietz’s expertise in matters of mayhem is second to none.”

—
The Oregonian

“Unrelenting action.” —
KLIATT

“Lots of action, good characterization, a menacing enemy reminiscent of Fred Saberhagen’s Berserker series, and a rousing ending.” —
Science Fiction Chronicle

FOR THOSE WHO FELL

“A genuine adrenaline rush.” —
Publishers Weekly

“This is an excellent story, well written and excitingly told. If you like military SF, this is definitely a book for you.”

—
SF
Crowsnest.com

“The usual fast-paced adventure we have come to expect in the series and from Dietz.” —
Booklist

“William C. Dietz raises the bar of excellence for military science fiction with every book he writes.
For Those Who Fell
is a superb, action-packed thriller starring a countless number of ordinary people forced into Herculean efforts to prevent the enemy from victory. Pivotal heroes like First Lieutenant Antonio Santana and Christine Vanderveen . . . add to this terrific tale.” —
Midwest Book Review

FOR MORE THAN GLORY

“Dietz has created an intricate tapestry of local and star-faring culture with top-notch action sequences.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Plenty of conflict and mayhem . . . rewarding.” —
SF Site

“Thoughtful . . . plot conscious.” —
Chronicle

“Exciting military SF fare. Series readers and
Starship Troopers
fans will want this.” —
Booklist

EARTHRISE

“An insightful . . . action-packed novel.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“
Independence Day
with a twist. Dietz delivers a rousing finale to his apocalyptic vision of Earth’s invasion.”

—
Romantic Times

DEATHDAY

“A classic alien-invasion tale of survival and human triumph—great reading for anyone who loved
Independence Day
or
The War of the Worlds.
” —Kevin J. Anderson, coauthor of
Hunters of Dune

“A compelling novel of the strength of the human spirit in the face of the apocalypse.” —Rick Shelley, author of
Holding the Line

GALACTIC BOUNTY
FREEHOLD
PRISON PLANET
IMPERIAL BOUNTY
ALIEN BOUNTY
MCCADE’S BOUNTY
DRIFTER
DRIFTER’S RUN
DRIFTER’S WAR
LEGION OF THE DAMNED
BODYGUARD
THE FINAL BATTLE
WHERE THE SHIPS DIE
STEELHEART
BY BLOOD ALONE
BY FORCE OF ARMS
DEATHDAY
EARTHRISE
FOR MORE THAN GLORY
FOR THOSE WHO FELL
RUNNER
LOGOS RUN
WHEN ALL SEEMS LOST

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

LOGOS RUN
An Ace Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Ace hardcover edition / October 2006
Ace mass-market edition / October 2007

Copyright © 2006 by William C. Dietz.

All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of
the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 978-1-4406-1989-2

ACE
Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ACE and the “A” design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

ONE

The attack came without warning. The angen-drawn coach
had been under way for hours by then, having followed the well-established ruts south through villages of neatly thatched roofs, past prayer ribbons that flew with the wind, and miles of flooded paddies. The genetically engineered draft animals strained at their harnesses as the road began to rise, the driver’s long, supple whip cracked over their vaguely equine heads, and they were forced to assume the four-wheeled vehicle’s entire weight. The angens expressed their unhappiness via snorts, grunts, and occasional bursts of flatulence as the low-lying paddies fell away and they pulled the coach up through a long series of switchbacks. But the driver was accustomed to such displays, and his passengers were largely unaware of how the animals felt, since two of the three were asleep within the boxy cab.

The single exception was Lonni Norr, who sat facing the front of the coach with Jak Rebo’s head resting on her lap. The variant’s right leg had gone to sleep ten minutes earlier, but she couldn’t bring herself to wake the runner and thereby break the spell. Because after months of danger and turmoil Norr was temporarily at peace. And had been ever since their departure from the holy city of CaCanth.

But Norr’s ancestors had been bred to sense things that norms could not. So even as the heavy who was curled up on the seat across from her continued to snore, and Rebo jerked as if in response to a dream, the young woman knew that conflict lay ahead. Partly because the threesome possessed something others wanted—and partly because it was somehow meant to be.

The windows were open, which meant Norr caught a brief glimpse of the terrain ahead as the coach lurched up over a pass and began its rattling descent. In contrast to the carefully cultivated paddies the coach had passed earlier in the day, a dense forest awaited them below. The interlocking foliage stretched for as far as the eye could see, and, judging from the occasional glint of reflected sunlight, was watered by a serpentine river.

Rebo mumbled something in his sleep, and Norr smiled tenderly as she ran her fingers through the runner’s thick black hair. His features were even, but a bit too rugged to be described as classically handsome, in spite of the fact that women generally found him to be attractive. The relationship with Rebo had been part of the long journey that had begun on the Planet Anafa, and subsequently taken them to Pooz, Ning, Etu, and Thara. What began as a momentary alliance had gradually evolved into a wary friendship, an on-again, off-again romance, and a decision to remain together. For a month? A year? A lifetime? Not even a person with her gifts could tell.

Such were Norr’s thoughts as the coach found level ground, bounced its way into a set of deep ruts, and was soon embraced by an army of leafy trees. Their trunks were four to five feet in circumference, and their massive branches came together to form a dense canopy overhead. The thick biomass cut the amount of sunlight that could reach the forest floor by half and caused a drop in temperature.