The Mosquito Fleet

In the far future, humankind has settled remote frontier worlds thanks to the science of biotics, a combination of organic and inorganic engineering that powers FTL drives and even synthetic humans. The Mosquito Fleet is a novel of three interwoven tales that concern Lira, a synthetic spacer whose ability to interface with biotic stardrives ordinarily would make her an indispensable navigator. After her miscalculations result in a tragic accident, however, Lira can only find employment on rundown vessels, traveling to the fringes of the Spin Colonies. During one such routine voyage, a mysterious comet unexpectedly appears, broadcasting a strange signal that threatens to infect all biotic technology, including Lira herself. Haunted by her past mistakes, she must find a way to save her ship and the lives of all aboard while contending with one of the passengers-a violent religious fanatic who believes the comet has returned to show him how to purge humanity from the stars.