If you’d like to know more about the search for biosignatures, I highly recommend a book written by a Harvard astronomer:

  Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth by Avi Loeb

  It covers the topic of biosignatures in far greater detail, even postulating that the cigar-shaped asteroid, Oumuamua, which passed Earth in 2019, could have been a piece of alien technology. Like with the theory of extraterrestrial octopuses, his thesis has been looked at with a jaundiced eye. But I appreciated his general attitude and conclusion: Just consider it and look deeper. It’s a philosophy that could serve us all.

  CHINA’S AUTONOMOUS FORCES

  The PLA equipment featured in the novel is based on actual designs currently in production or already being used. That includes the Type 096 nuclear ballistics submarine (the wrecked Changzheng 24 in the book), the Type 076 helicopter landing dock (the Dayangxi), and the Type 726 Landing Craft Air Cushion (nickname Yema), along with its Type 96 battle tank.

  Also, the AI-driven vessel—the Zhu Hai Yun—is a real boat, one that is believed to be a prototype for a militarized version. In addition, the UUVs and smart torpedoes that plague Kowalski in this story are real and have undergone sea trials in the Taiwan Strait. Likewise, the PLA Navy has developed a deep-sea vessel with militarized applications, from reconnaissance and surveillance to antisubmarine warfare. I based the Qianliyan on this design platform.

  Moving past the scientific aspects of the book, let’s end with areas of special interest.

  LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

  In Hong Kong, the bar that Kowalski visits—the Old Man—is real, as are the drinks he orders. The elevated park where he tussles with some henchmen is indeed right across the street. Likewise, you could moor your boat at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, and on the neighboring shore, you could play golf—assuming an incoming tsunami doesn’t chase you into the clubhouse (like with Gray). The fire roads and hiking trails atop the forested heights of Victoria Peak do form a confounding maze.

  In Singapore, the Lee Kwon Chian Natural History Museum does retain the original natural history collection from the museum that Sir Stamford Raffles founded, including discoveries he made himself. The museum’s Heritage Gallery also covers the embroiled scientific competition between Raffles and Farquhar. The upper research floors are covered by extensive wet and dry collections, preserving millions of specimens. And in the public spaces, there is indeed a light show highlighting their huge dinosaurs. I apologize for making such a mess of the place.

  In Jakarta, the Love Bridge is available for late-night walks (or gun battles). The Jakarta History Museum was once the city hall, where Sir Stamford Raffles kept an office. I doubt there is a coded safe that holds the preserved remains of a dead boy—but you never know. The lab where Heng and Xue do some late-night research—the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology—is also a real establishment.

  At the Réam Naval Base in Cambodia, China did take over a large corner of the facility. According to an article in The Washington Post, the base will be used for both military and scientific purposes—which, to me, is more disturbing than either alone.

  Okay, folks, that’s it. From that ending, you can imagine that Sigma will be on the warpath. A major battle is about to be fought on a global scale. No one will leave unscathed. To survive, it will require engaging every agent—past and present—including a certain four-legged soldier (possibly even two of them).

  Acknowledgments

  It’s always a long road to cross the finish line at the end of the book. Like for any marathon runner, it’s great to have a crew of friends cheering you on along the way, picking you up if you fall, offering encouragement at every mile marker. So let me give a special shout-out to a wonderfully supportive crew who have done all of that and more for me: Chris Crowe, Lee Garrett, Matt Bishop, Matt Orr, Judy Prey, Caroline Williams, Sadie Davenport, Igor Poshelyuznyy, Vanessa Bedford, and Lisa Goldkuhl. And a special thanks to Steve Prey for both his critiques and the production of the book’s map. I also have to single out David Sylvian for all his hard work and dedication in the digital sphere. And Cherei McCarter, who has shared with me a bevy of intriguing concepts and curiosities, several of which are found in these pages. Of course, none of this would happen without an astounding team of industry professionals, whom I defy anyone to surpass. To everyone at William Morrow, thank you for always having my back, especially Liate Stehlik, Kaitlin Harri, Josh Marwell, Richard Aquan, and Caitlin Garing. Last, of course, a special acknowledgment to the people instrumental to all levels of production: my esteemed editor, Lyssa Keusch, and her industrious colleague Mireya Chiriboga; and for all their hard work, my agents, Russ Galen and Danny Baror (along with his daughter Heather Baror). And as always, I must stress that any and all errors of fact or detail in this book, of which hopefully there are not too many, fall squarely on my own shoulders.

  Rights and Attributions for the Artwork in This Novel

  Map of Southeast Asia and Australia

  Drawn by Steve Prey. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Steve Prey

  Titan Station Complex’s rig and ship

  Secured with an Enhanced License

  ID 1528272203 © Pulsmusic | Shutterstock.com

  (image edited by author)

  Schematic of Titan Station Down

  Drawn by author

  Hong Kong Skyline/The Titan Project

  Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), CC BY-SA 4.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  Coral Polyps

  Secured with an Enhanced License

  ID 2142574655 © Fotopogledi | Shutterstock.com

  (image edited by author)

  Map of Trenches

  Drawn by author based on the template of map by Steve Prey

  Map of Quakes

  Drawn by author based on the template of map by Steve Prey

  Map of Force Vectors

  Drawn by author based on the template of map by Steve Prey

  Map of Volcanos

  Drawn by author based on the template of map by Steve Prey

  Crystals

  Secured with an Enhanced License

  ID 2166599081 © Yevgenij_D | Shutterstock.com

  (image edited by author)

  Concrete Ark

  Jacklee, CC BY-SA 4.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  African Blob

  Sanne.cottaar, CC BY-SA 3.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  Pacific Blob

  Sanne.cottaar, CC BY-SA 3.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  Overlaid with partial map from:

  ID 1680806881 © Saiful52 | Shutterstock.com

  Secured with an Enhanced License

  (image composited and edited by author)

  Argonite layering

  Glenn Elert, CC BY-SA 3.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  Argonite crystal

  Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  Hadal Zone/Titan X

  Iddes Yachts for the Earth 300 organisation, CC BY-SA 4.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  Coral Scan

  Lau, Yee Wah et al. “Stolonifera from shallow waters in the north-western Pacific: a description of a new genus and two new species within the Arulidae (Anthozoa, Octocorallia).” CC BY 4.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0:

  (image edited by author)

  Cataclysm

  Oliver Spalt, CC BY 2.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  VEI Map

  Drawn by author based on the template of map by Steve Prey

  Coral Piece

  Public Domain. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, including Zoology, Botany, and Geology by Albert C. L. G. Günther, William S. Dallas, William Carruthers, and William Francis (London: Taylor and Francis, Ltd., 1883). Holding Company: Smithsonian Libraries

  (Image edited by author)

  Island Pic #1

  Public Domain. Corals and Coral Islands by James Dwight Dana (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1890). Holding Company: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

  (image edited by author)

  Island Pic #2

  Public Domain. Corals and Coral Islands by James Dwight Dana (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1890). Holding Company: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

  (image edited by author)

  Island Pic #3

  Public Domain. Corals and Coral Islands by James Dwight Dana (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1890). Holding Company: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

  (image edited by author)

  Rainbow Serpent

  Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org, page 34, headed: Et apprehendit Draconem / Serpentein antiquani(?) / Apoc. XX Two drawings: the first depicting a rainbow and a warrior standing on a cloud attacking three monsters (a bird, serpent and a demon); the second depicting scientific apparatus

  CC BY 4.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  SEM Crystal #1

  Danielgeounivasf, CC BY-SA 4.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  SEM Crystal #2

  Danielgeounivasf, CC BY-SA 4.0 @https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0:, via Wikimedia Commons

  (image edited by author)

  Hunter/Killer

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  (image edited by author)

  Bullroarer

  Secured with an Enhanced License

  ID 108145860 © Mushika | Dreamstime.com

  (image edited by author)

  Island Pic #4

  Public Domain. Corals and Coral Islands by James Dwight Dana (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1890). Holding Company: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

  (image edited by author)

  Island Pic #5

  Public Domain. Corals and Coral Islands by James Dwight Dana (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1890). Holding Company: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

  (image edited by author)

  Big Coral Tree

  Public Domain. Corals and Coral Islands by James Dwight Dana (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1890). Holding Company: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

  (image edited by author)

  Coral Collection

  Public Domain. Corals and Coral Islands by James Dwight Dana (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1890). Holding Company: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

  (image edited by author)

  Coral Ball

  Secured with an Enhanced License

  ID 1693692316 © Sharp Dezign| Shutterstock.com

  (image edited by author)

  Life Cycle

  Public Domain. Histoire naturelle : generale et particuliere des cephalopods acetabuliferes vivants et fossils by Férussac, A. E. d’Audebard de baron de, (André Étienne) and Orbigny, Alcide Dessalines d’, (Paris: Impr. de A. Lacour, 1835). Holding Company: Museums Victoria

  (image edited by author)

  Rainbow Serpent Drawing

  Public Domain. Histoire naturelle : generale et particuliere des cephalopods acetabuliferes vivants et fossils by Férussac, A. E. d’Audebard de baron de, (André Étienne) and Orbigny, Alcide Dessalines d’, (Paris: Impr. de A. Lacour, 1835). Holding Company: Museums Victoria

  (image edited by author)

  Nematocyst Drawing

  Public Domain. Corals and Coral Islands by James Dwight Dana (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1890). Holding Company: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

  (image edited by author)

  Dark Eden

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  ID 2190950377 © Dav_782| Shutterstock.com

  (image edited by author)

  Serpent’s Roar

  Secured with an Enhanced License

  ID 84245848 © digitalbalance| Shutterstock.com

  (image edited by author)

  Island Pic #6

  Public Domain. Corals and Coral Islands by James Dwight Dana (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1890). Holding Company: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

  (image edited by author)

  Satellite View of Raoul Island

  Public Domain. NASA International Space Station image ISS002-E-8883, 2001 (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/).

  (image edited by author)

  About the Author

  JAMES ROLLINS is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers that have been translated into more than forty languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the “top crowd-pleasers” (New York Times) and one of the “hottest summer reads” (People magazine). In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets—and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning insight. He lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  Also by James Rollins

  Kingdom of Bones

  Unrestricted Access

  The Last Odyssey

  Crucible

  The Demon Crown

  The Seventh Plague

  The Bone Labyrinth

  The 6th Extinction

  The Eye of God

  Bloodline

  The Devil Colony

  Altar of Eden

  The Doomsday Key

  The Last Oracle

  The Judas Strain

  Black Order

  Map of Bones

  Sandstorm

  Ice Hunt

  Amazonia

  Deep Fathom

  Excavation

  Subterranean

  BY JAMES ROLLINS AND REBECCA CANTRELL

  Blood Gospel

  Innocent Blood

  Blood Infernal

  BY JAMES ROLLINS AND GRANT BLACKWOOD

  The Kill Switch

  War Hawk

  Copyright

  The credits here constitute an extension of this copyright page.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  TIDES OF FIRE. Copyright © 2023 by James Czajkowski. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  Cover design and illustration by Tony Mauro

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  FIRST EDITION

  Digital Edition AUGUST 2023 ISBN: 978-0-06-289312-3

  Version 06062023

  Print ISBN: 978-0-06-289307-9

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  * A compendium of biosignatures: “Cellular and extracellular morphologies, biogenic fabrics in rocks, bio-organic molecular structures, chirality, biogenic minerals, biogenic stable isotope patterns in minerals and organic compounds, atmospheric gases, remotely detectable features on planetary surfaces, and temporal changes in global planetary properties.” National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. An Astrobiology Strategy for the Search for Life in the Universe. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.

  * “Call for a framework for reporting evidence for life beyond Earth,” J. Green, T. Hoehler, M. Neveu, et al., Nature, October 28, 2021.

  * “The Great Dying: Earth’s largest-ever mass extinction is a warning for humanity,” Jeff Berardelli and Katherine Niemczyk, CBS News, March 4, 2021.