Transvergence

FROM OUT OF THE DEPTHS OF TIME ...

The Zardalu were the greatest menace in the galaxy, enslaving many races, exterminating others. It wat fortunate that they had become extinct aeons before humans ventured into space. But wait! This just in!

Hans Rebka, Darya Lang, and a motley group of human and other beings were investigating the gigantic and inexplicable artifacts left behind by the mysterious vanished race known only as the Builders when they came across a horde of Zardalu who have been in suspended animation for thousands of years, and accidentally awakened them. The Zardalu are ready to resume their ruthless progress across the galactic arm, but even they may not be the greatest menace to humanity.

The enigmatic artifacts of the Builders, changeless since before the Dawn of Man, are showing signs of life. Very ominous signs. ...

Publisher's Note: Transvergence was previously published in parts as Transcendence and Convergence, and has been revised for this first unitary edition.

"Like Arthur C. Clarke and Greg Bear .. . brilliantly balanced seesaw between enormous concept and lifesize characterisation." —The London Times

"Rich with imagination ... that rarest of science fiction works, one whose science and characters are both very compelling." —Locus

Cover art by Drew Blair

Paperback

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, November 1999

Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 0-671-57837-5

A Baen Books Original
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
http://www.baen.com

Production by Windhaven Press
Auburn, NH

Electronic version by WebWrights
http://www.webwrights.com

To Ann, Kit, Rose, and Toria;
and to Mary Q. and the San Diego crowd,

who made me change it

THE SQUISH IS ON ...

"The future here doesn't seem too promising." Rebka gestured around him. "Paradox is shrinking."

Lissie stared at him in disbelief. "How can it? It's always been the same size."

"Sure. And it never stopped anything from getting out before—the way it has stopped us." Rebka shrugged. "Paradox is changing—fast. Take a look for yourself."

"It is not Paradox alone," said E.C. Tally. "Changes are occurring in all the Artifacts. It is evidence that the purpose of the Builders has at last been accomplished."

"So what is the purpose?" Katerina asked.

"Unfortunately, I have no idea," the embodied computer answered.

"It may not make much difference to us what the purpose is," said Lissie, returning from taking her own look. "If Paradox keeps shrinking, we'll get squished out of existence. Since it's down to two kilometers—"

"Two!" Rebka jumped up. "It can't be. It was close to five less than an hour ago."

"To quote you, go see for yourself."

Everyone rushed for the entrance.

Maddy Treel got there first. "It sure as hell looks closer."

"The outer boundary of Paradox is indeed shrinking," E.C. said. He had performed the calculation in a millisecond. "Assuming that the present rate of change is maintained, it will achieve zero radius in twelve minutes and seventeen seconds."

"Achieve zero radius?" asked Katerina.

"That's E.C.'s polite way of describing what Lissie called getting squished out of existence," Rebka said.