# Founders' Effect, Book Two of the War of the Second Iteration



## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Available now for Kindle ereaders.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

A shriek cut through his head; someone had screamed into the comlink. Too startled to think at first, Robert hit his jets to turn and see who was in distress. Too late he saw that Alicia's arms were waving wildly, fingers clutching as if to claw at the darkness. She screamed again...

From _Founders' Effect_


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

With the release of Founders' Effect, work on Book Three of the War of the Second Iteration will resume. (Watch this space!)


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Founders' Effect is now available in paperback from Amazon for $13.99. So if you want to continue to share the War of the Second Iteration with friends who lack ereaders, you're all set! 

Founders' Effect (War of the Second Iteration)


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Year One

http://underdesertstars.wordpress.com/


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Comment from a reviewer on Amazon:

"Yes, Thomas managed to hold my attention. What Mr. Watson was able to do for me was keep me reading even though there wasn't a lot of shoot'em up scenes(which bore me, but others expect) in the narrative."

I can definitely live with that, and the four stars he bestowed.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Writing and revising Founders' Effect changed the rest of the series. It's been interesting, so far, to see how this story evolves with the telling. I've been having the time of my life writing these books! I can only hope readers are enjoying this journey just as much!


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Life happens, and recently life has made a mockery of anything like book scheduling, but it does look like I will have Book Three (Plight of the Eli'ahtna) available in late 2013.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

“Every time I think I’ve faced the hardest thing life can hand me,” he whispered, “I discover that I’m wrong.”

from Founders' Effect


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Can the Republic afford the price of peace?


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Who are the warmongers, hidden away in deep space?


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

No, it won't be never ending. Yes, there will be a "next" book - and two more besides that. Book Three will be published sometime in Autumn of 2013.

The review so far, for Founders' Effect. (If you've read it, please feel free to join in.  )

http://www.amazon.com/Founders-Effect-Second-Iteration-ebook/product-reviews/B00BFMK7NW/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

He sought a path to follow, and found that he did not walk alone.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

The universe as they've known it is about to change.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

An olive branch can be a heavy thing, when the time comes to hold it out.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Founders' Effect is the second book in the War of the Second Iteration series. You do need to read Book One, The Luck of Han'anga, to get the full benefit of the story of Founders' Effect. Fortunately, Book One has been getting some pretty good reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Luck-Hananga-Second-Iteration-ebook/product-reviews/B0089Q2B22/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

First Melep, then Alicia, raised their newborn sons up to the stars, and as each infant was held aloft, Robert said their names and spoke the words taught him long ago by his Gaian parents.

"Rost'aht Vurn, behold the stars. Rost'aht Pali Paul MacGregor, behold the stars. From the stars of old, all from which we are made was born. Of stardust are we made. And as those stars shine, so shall your lives be points of light and life in the lifeless Void. That Void is vast, but in light and life there is hope, and in hope we find the strength to face that emptiness. May your lives shine brightly and long, and know that you are not, and never will be, alone."

Founders' Effect, Book Two of the War of the Second Iteration.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

The inner airlock hatch cycled and the tone sounded indicating it was safe to open it. At least, it was safe to do so under ordinary circumstances. John made no move abort the airlock sequence, and allowed the hatch to open. In the dimly lit space beyond, John saw a large shape moving.

He and Wirolen floated in the central compartment together, no more than two meters from the airlock. On either side of the lock were equipment and EVA suit lockers, one of which was hanging open. John glanced at Wirolen, who held her weapon steadily, her attention fixed on the airlock. They were warriors standing their ground, but John knew a fight would be pointless. If these beings were hostile, they were finished.

Were they being rescued? Or - something else?

_A snippet from the forthcoming Plight of the Eli'ahtna, War of the Second Iteration, Book Three._


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

"This is a good place to be," Robert said, looking around. Glancing up, he looked quickly away from the long central fusion lamp that lit the habitat. The lamp was dimming, but was still too bright to stare at.

"Yes," Ersha replied. He breathed deeply of air faintly scented by lilac, the blossoms of _worish_ lacking in perfume. "This is home," he said more quietly.

"Melep says things like that," Robert said, with a glance toward Ersha as they walked. "The thought of leaving here, for any reason or amount of time, doesn't set well with her."

Ersha did not respond immediately. The stream beside them slowed and became broader, and patches of tall cattails screened parts of it. There were ducks on the water, noisy mallards arguing amongst themselves as they foraged between the cattails.

"I do not mean to leave this place either," Ersha said. "Oh, I'll go to Serch'nach as needed. But my voyaging aboard _Han'anga_ . . . No, I have no desire for such things these days." He patted Robert's arm. "You see, _par'adnan_, for all that your Commonwealth medicine has rendered me physically young, my mind and heart feel the weight of the years. When the Bartram Protocol is signed and implemented, in whatever form, I intend to retire from public life. I am worn away by the burden of lives for which I was responsible, lives that ended too soon. I am weary, here," and he touched his chest. "I need to rest."

From the forthcoming Plight of the Eli'ahtna, Book Three of the War of the Second Iteration.
Links for books One and Two can be found in the cover images below.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

There was a crystalline quality to the universe, as seen through the eyes of a sentient starship, a clarity that gave an illusion of depth to things too far away to really give such perspective. The great Void was a perfectly transparent crystal, and Robert was but a mote of imperfection within the crystalline structure, able to look through it in all directions at once.
After so many decades of experiencing the universe in such a way, he still couldn’t find just the words he wanted. What he saw and felt defied description.

Beside him, a presence felt but not seen, Greg Millhouse simply said, “Wow . . . ”

“Yes,” Robert replied.


Yet another snippet from the forthcoming Plight of the Eli'ahtna, Book Three of the War of the Second Iteration.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

I will be attending TusCon 40, this coming weekend, November 8, 9, and 10. My novels The Luck of Han'anga and Founders' Effect will be available for sale at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore table in the dealer's room.

Check here for the current program: http://tusconscificon.com/

I'm currently scheduled to participate in the following:

Has Future Shock Turned Into Future Fatigue?
Sat.9am Ballroom

Mass Autograph Session Sat.
4pm Ballroom

Good Twists and Bad Twists: What are the keys to making plot twists unpredictable but still believable?
10pm Panel Room 1

How to Rewrite Right 
Sun. Noon. Ballroom

If you're in town, check it out!


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

The cliff hanger that ends this book is now resolved, in Book Three of the War of the Second Iteration.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

John Knowles seeks an answer. Robert MacGregor desires peace.

Only one will find what he's looking for...


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

He believes the path has been set before him. Now he must choose to follow it.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

I'm well past the halfway point in writing a draft of the fourth book in this series. (It'll be called The Courage to Accept when it's released later this year.) With each book the process becomes a bit slower, as I work to keep track of the characters and events from previous volumes. I'm literally using a spreadsheet to keep track of some of these things! But I'm still making steady progress in the production of a book I hope you will find worth reading. The patience of current readers as I work toward publication of Book Four is much appreciated.

There will be one more book in The War of the Second Iteration, after the current work in progress is published. The story arc will be completed with the publication of Book Five - Setha'im Prosh. It's my intention to wrap this tale up in early 2015. And after that? Well, we'll see. There's another universe or two tucked away inside my head!

For a self-contained sample of how I tell a tale, give this short tale a try. Long Time Passing http://tinyurl.com/boq2jmr


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

"This is some of the most engrossing, professionally written Science Fiction I have read in years." From an Amazon review of Founders' Effect.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

"Very engaging story! When you set it down you can't wait to pick it back up. This is a great series so far. Good plot line. Good characters. Good pace." From a review of Founders' Effect.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

The Commonwealth can bring peace to their neighbors, but someone is hiding in the deep dark of space, determined to fan the flames of war.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

"Every time I think I've faced the hardest thing life can hand me," he whispered, "I discover that I'm wrong."

Founders' Effect
War of the Second Iteration, Book Two


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

The fourth book of this five-part series is now available for Kindle users!



The people of the Commonwealth have known nothing but peace for centuries. Now, war is upon them.

How do you prepare for something no one alive has ever seen?


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

First Melep, then Alicia, raised their newborn sons up to the stars, and as each infant was held aloft, Robert said their names and spoke the words taught him long ago by his Gaian parents.

"Rost'aht Vurn, behold the stars. Rost'aht Pali Paul MacGregor, behold the stars. From the stars of old, all from which we are made was born. Of stardust are we made. And as those stars shine, so shall your lives be points of light and life in the lifeless Void. That Void is vast, but in light and life there is hope, and in hope we find the strength to face that emptiness. May your lives shine brightly and long, and know that you are not, and never will be, alone."


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

When I started the first draft of Founders' Effect it was my impression that I was in the middle of a trilogy. The story had other ideas.

Progress on the first draft of the fifth and final volume of The War of the Second Iteration stands at 14,575. Slowing going, or so it seems. The real work at this point is the exploration of ideas, not the number of words.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

The universe is about to prove more complicated and dangerous than they ever imagined!


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Book Two of Five.

While Robert and Alicia MacGregor, survivors of the ill-fated probeship William Bartram, work to rebuild their lives, the Commonwealth seeks a way to end the long, bitter conflict between the Republic and the Leyra'an. But the leaders of the Republic, suspicious of the motives that drive their long-sundered kin and faced with unrest among their own people, resist the changes that must come for peace to exist. And all the while, forces unseen by either side are at work, determined to force Humanity and the Leyra'an to walk the path of war.

http://www.amazon.com/Founders-Effect-Second-Iteration-Book-ebook/dp/B00BFMK7NW/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0QGP6F06ARER8F325GAH

Look for Book Five - Setha'im Prosh - in early 2016.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

The people of the Leyra'an Confederation of Clans desire only peace with their Human neighbors, but the price of peace may be more than the Republic is willing to pay.

The second book of the War of the Second Iteration. The conclusion will be seen in Book Five, Setha'im Prosh, early 2016.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Alarms rang and warning lights flashed as the ship suddenly appeared in the node. The gray-clad crew on duty all flinched, and any who were away from their duty stations rushed to take their places.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

"Every time I think I've faced the hardest thing life can hand me," he whispered, "I discover that I'm wrong."

from Founders' Effect


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

An olive branch can be a heavy thing, when the time comes to hold it out.


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