Divergence - Tony Ballantyne

The robot Constantine notices an Artificial Intelligence spontaneously coming into being on a distant planet . . . and watches helplessly as it is destroyed.

In deep space, far from Earth, Judy senses a change of mood aboard the passenger ship she travels on . . . and a quick investigation reveals that the craft is succumbing to a mysterious alien infestation.

Just as hope seems lost, a group of combat drones appears to rescue all the passengers, except Judy - who is told she is the property of a forgotten mega-corporation based on Earth.

Returned against her wishes to an Earth under constant assault from the same alien infestation, Judy begins to learn her place in a conspiracy billions of years old.

But is she ready to take on the benign, omnipotent, all-seeing Watcher who guides human destiny?

And destroy it?

Tony Ballantyne has contributed regularly to SF magazines, and lives in the Manchester area.