NB this story is found in the collection Incomplete Solution although variations in other collections were used

Publisher - Luna Press

Price - £9.99 paperback £4.07 kindle eBook

Science Fiction is about limits - can we beat them? Light speed, extinction events, physics and even death. But it also explores the consequences of that curiosity. Our drive to win can make us take risks, sacrifice others and destroy ourselves. In Incompleteness Theories Wole Talabi has a story how the drive to be the first person to teleport life ends up destroying their own and others around him.

Professor Wale Adedji is a recognise global genius who has just secured billion dollar funding from the businessman Diego Salazar to discover human teleportation. He assembled a crack team and they spend months working out how this could be achieved. We see the breakthroughs, the breakups, the accidents and the potential triumphs and tragedies. Adedji has attracted the attention of the military and failure will not be an option despite how bad things could pose his team.

What I enjoyed this in this story was the idea of sacrifice - Adedji turns back on mentors; spouses and puts pressure on his team to succeed. Under Salazar’s manager (the military non nonsense Susan) the team get reminded money is not no object. It’s a tale of people having to decide if knowledge (and potential death) is worth the step. Adedji gets options in the forms of a former lover back in his life and he has to decide which way to go. It’s humanity versus pure quest for more logical advancement.

The main plot of what happens (and I’m being careful here not to spoil it for you) takes that idea and weaves it with the idea of teleportation. It’s almost a classic SF tale bit one one that explores how the desire for success and profit can destroy people. It’s very well executed and very much a refreshed version of a classic SF idea.

I really enjoyed the story (and expect more from the collection to be reviewed soon). I like Talabi’s exploration of the human mind’s desire to be ruthless and to love. Well worth a look