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Imminent Domain
Sean H. Koping
Copyright © 2012 SEAN KOPING
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, or locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Sean Koping
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part, in any form.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publisher.
The Publisher makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any commercial damages.
2013-02-20
Dedication
For my parents, one grudgingly let me read comic books; while the other was just glad that I could read.
Your love humbles me and enables me to stand tall.
And
To those who believe…
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Karissa for her support and help in getting this project done. (So should you (the reader) find errors of a grammatical nature - It’s all her fault. Luv ya ,sis!)
And thanks to the immensely talented David Anthony James for providing the amazing cover art.(Apparently he ‘does this for a living.’) Do check out his amazing work at Mokojumbie.net.
To the reader:
This novel was a test. A test to see if I could actually employ various learned project management methodologies to achieve one singular ambitious objective: to write a full length book. That book, which you currently hold in your hands (or have uploaded onto the device of your choice), has been created to do three things: entertain, engage, and educate.
Hopefully by the last page you would have thoroughly enjoyed the ride. If you like big-action and smart, yet subtle science-fiction, even just a little bit, make no mistake - this book was written for you.
Get some popcorn going in the microwave I have a feeling you’re gonna be here a little while.
Welcome to Imminent Domain.
Enjoy,
Sean H. Koping
Prologue
“Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies.”
- Friedrich Nietzche
November 12, 2019
NATO Workshop Norfolk, Virginia
“After a series of very dramatic and terrifying world events this past year, the collective public attention of the United States and Europe has finally focused on the vast, complex geopolitical, economic, and technological upheaval that is taking place in the world. We no longer need to be reminded that we face a very real — and present — set of new threats from a variety of asymmetric forces capable of being directed against us from all parts of the world. Recent terrorist bombings in Australia and Canada, the conflicts in Brazil and France, the Venezuelan and West-African ballistic missile launches, the nuclear munitions testing in Antarctica and Saudi-Arabia, the growing proliferation of low-cost cruise missiles on the black market, and the successful cyber attack on the U.S. Department of Defense computer systems, just four months ago, have brought home to all of us the very different nature of the present and growing threats to our national security.
While we cannot say for certain how such new threats will evolve, they are unlikely to go away. In fact, as transnational terrorist elements and rogue nations shift to biological and chemical attacks (both at home and abroad) and launch information warfare attacks on our infrastructure (for example, against our air traffic control systems and/or our electronic financial systems), these threats have clearly grown in number and intensity.
Terrorist threats that rely on early 21st century technology are, of course, only one end of the spectrum of future threats we must be prepared to face. We must also prepare for a diverse and unpredictable threat that combines more traditional forms of conflict with acts of terrorism. And, even in these more “traditional” areas, that include everything from small-scale — often urban — military operations to nuclear war, military conflict is being dramatically transformed by the rapidly changing nature of modern technology.
Advanced technology holds great promise in helping us to meet the likely threats of current and future conflicts. While vital to the success of our future defense strategy, however, it must not be conceived as a Deus ex Machina capable, in and of itself, of assuring victory in combat. Clearly, there is an issue of balance here as we apply new technologies to future 21st century conflicts. Warfare, as Von Clausewitz has taught us, is, after all, a human enterprise. As such, it is inherently unpredictable.
We must also keep in mind that none of this technology will achieve its desired effect if the combat forces do not know how to use it or when to use it. But most of all, as leaders we must have the will to use it when life and freedom hang in the balance.
State of the art technology must be fully integrated into our alliance military doctrine, tactics, operations, and forces; and the NATO decision-making process must be transformed in order to give our forces the unprecedented ability to respond, at a moments notice, any time, anywhere, to any threat …”
(Excerpt) Remarks by the Honorable Niobe S. Nkembwe Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Technology)
2019
“If you asked me: What I thought was the greatest threat to our continued existance on this planet? I’d respond : Mankind. However if you asked me, What was the second greatest threat to our continued existance on this planet? I would look you straight in the eye and tell you: That’s classified.”
Dylan Spencer Mitchell
President of the United States of America
2020
II
“HIC SUNT MONSTRA.”
- Motto of PWR’s A.C.E.S. Operations Unit
