A collection of eight short stories and one novella which glimpse into the future history that is Machine Civilization. From central Texas to Okinawa to the Russian tundra to the surface of Mars, catch the excitement as these multi-generational tales unfold! *** Story Summaries - Dawn: the creation of Thinking Machines provokes a violent rift in the team that made them. Broken Heart: an experiment with synthetic humans and demons goes horribly wrong. Togame Tower: about to be sent to the former US, Nichole 5 spends a last night talking with the Empress of Japan. Pine Bluff: Lily Barrett reconfronts the woman who attempted to kill her just a few months prior. Empire's Agent (novella): a diplomat and SOG NCO travels from the Habsburg Empire to Texas to discover why the Thinking Machines are so taken with a certain human. He gets an answer he never expected. Flight: a preview of the horrors which lurk just outside of Knoxville's little bubble of civilization. First Among Equals: Reina, Thinking Machine and Prime Minister of the new Russian Empire gets a lesson in humility. "No Better Friend; no worse enemy": broken man "Orloff" finally finds peace. Old Friends: two generations after the fall of Portland, just back from a trip to Mars, Nichole 5 is surprised by a visitor.