Velocity2

by Lee Frey

50 A.D., black powder was created.1863, T.N.T. was created.1945, the atomic bomb was created.On May 2nd, the world will witness the most powerful weapon ever created. Oil prices have skyrocketed, pushing a gallon of gas to almost $10. Due to the cascading effects, the world economy is faltering. But a solution is on the horizon. Ken Dahlin has a found a way to harness free energy, the final realization of Nikola Tesla's vision. The only problem is it's also a weapon.Like atomic energy, the destructive properties must be controlled, but how far must we go to protect the secret? Should American troops be brought home to protect us? Should we round up the illegal immigrants and send them home? How intense of security protocols will society endure? How much is justified?And who should Ken trust? Can he trust a government bent on war? What guarantee can anyone give that device won't just replace the nuclear warheads? Ken has little choice, because the only organization capable of protecting the discovery is the government. Through an incredible display of power, Ken is able to gain access to the one man he feels that he can trust--President Anderson.But what if the threat isn't from abroad? What if one of the few people you trust with the secret betrays you? Even a small device is powerful enough to destroy large cities and placed in the right location, capable of destroying the world.Ken's worst nightmare has come true. The President failed to protect his gift. Someone has a device and is threatening to destroy the planet, and is not asking for a ransom. The terrorist wants nothing except for the world to die. Ken must now find a bomb, maybe as small as a golf ball, and disarm it before his energy revolution becomes an extinction level event. The only hope is that maybe, just maybe, he is smart enough to pull this off.

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2010

Reviews

[Codewhisperer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty decent poolside read with just enough techpr0n to give me the warm fuzzies. The contemplative armchair physics theories made me feel as though the author and I must be related somehow. Perhaps we are bonded at the quantum foam level?

The ending seemed a bit rushed and had a subtly different 'voice' when compared to the rest of the book. It isn't a serious flaw, but it was enough for a momentary gap in the suspension of disbelief blanket that the author and I had been so carefully crocheting.

It's a minor quibble though. The book is enjoyable, and great as a summer read for anyone who likes technical thrillers and near-future scientific fiction.