Once things settle down a bit and the world begins to regain its footing, the bright minds of science turn to the mining of helium-3 as a source of energy. GOLEM, now up and running despite Ike's abandonment, determines that Jupiter's moon, Europa, is the place to obtain the mineral, so a team is being sent beneath the depths of the Ross Ice Shelf in the Antarctic as part of a test run prior to the 6-year stint in space, with Andie part of the crew of the Oceanus, much to Ike's horror. Ike is chosen to accompany the group to root out what GOLEM suspects is an unstable member of the crew. Ike is perfect for the job since he has another of his creations, ABE, a bio-chip implanted in his brain and he is able to glide effortlessly through any situation, thanks to his robot brain. Personalities collide on board and the crew, especially the testosterone-fueled Captain Kevin Read, is suspicious of Ike the infiltrator. When a clash results in Ike being put in cryogenic stasis against his will, he later awakens violently to a very different Oceanus and the Earth surrounding it. The crew has vanished, the ice has thawed, and the world is filled with enormous, deadly aberrations of the creatures Ike once knew. Is this the new reality or his mind playing tricks on him while he is in a deep Omega sleep?
As Ike fights to survive this brave new world, he comes to realize that his once-prized creation GOLEM has evolved over time and is a very different creature altogether. Can he wake up from this nightmare or is this the new future?
I loved The Omega Project, from start to finish. The beginning of the book is a breakneck fight for survival against fellow man, but having survived the GDO, Ike is then faced with fighting for his life, with both foreign and familiar friends and enemies. Steve Alten weaves an intricate tale of science, religion, artificial intelligence, and perfection gone horribly wrong. If you love a good sci-fi adventure, you will love The Omega Project. Highly recommended.
