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From SCIFIPEDIA
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Blasphemy is a 2008 novel by Douglas Preston.
Synopsis
Physicist Gregory North Hazelius claims his superconducting supercollider particle accelerator located inside Red Mesa, on a Navajo Indian Reservation is aimed at
discovering new forms of energy. He has an ulterior motive for the creation of the particle accelerator, known as Isabella, however. When Hazelius' $40 billion dollar project does not go online as scheduled, presidential science adviser, Stanton Lockwood, hires ex-CIA man Wyman Ford to check on Hazelius' much delayed project and calm the restless natives. Ford discovers a group of twelve haggard scientists, all with difficult pasts and all of whom are hiding the secret of why the project is so delayed.
When the DOE doesn't deliver on their promises to the Navajo reservation, Shaman, Nelso Begay stirs up the Navajo to oppose Isabella with claims of possible radiation leaks and a history of broken promises by white men. The Navajo Council however, agreed to lease Red Mesa to the government for a healthy profit. When they decide to rid themselves of their expensive representative, Booker Crawley. In retaliation, Crawley stirs up the anger of scandalized fundamental televangelist, Don T. Spates, promising him hefty donations. Spates, in turn, stirs up and increases his audience with tirades against the atheist agenda that has led to the government spending $40 billion of tax payers' dollars to probe the anti-Christian "theory" of the Big Bang.
Ford learns that the scientists at Red Mesa suspect that their supercomputer may have been hacked and have been trying, unsuccessfully to track the source of the problem. When Isabllea reaches full power, they lose control of their computers which displays a greeting they believe is from a logic bomb. Ford keeps the information from Lockwood requesting more time to figure out the problem. They begin running out of time when one of the scientists appears to have committed suicide but his death raises questions of murder. When Hazelius fervently runs Isabella at full power despite objections, the team discovers and slowly begins to believe they may have connected with God himself when their "logic bomb" begins talking back.
Spurred on by Spate's ministry and the considerable public response it has gained, Blue Gap, Arizona pastor, Russ Eddy contacts Spates and promises inside information from the project after overhearing a conversation between the scientists. Spates reveals to his growing audience that Hazelius' machine believes it is god. Eddy, whose own criminal acts spur his transformation, sets off a firestorm, urging the Christian populace to action with claims of Armageddon at Red Mesa and numerical proof that Hazelius is the Antichrist.
Determined to prove that their connection to the being claiming to be God is not the work of a hacker, the team locks down the facility and cuts all communication with the outside world. They communicate with "God" who reveals "truths" about the nature of the universe, their place in it and purpose. But even while they try to probe the mind of god, Eddy has sent out an email calling Christians to action against Isabella. The government is determined to find out why communication to the facility has been shut off and sends in a team to break into the facility and shut it down; a last ditch attempt to preserve the president's legacy.
With Isabella on the verge of collapse, and a self-fulfilling Armageddon raging just outside the doors, the team tries to print all of god's words. Only Wyman remains uncertain of whether they are truly talking to God himself.
Eddy's actions result in a blood bath and a deadly Christian mob whose actions lead to the destruction of Red Mesa. It is up to Ford and ex girlfriend Kate and the surviving scientists to get the message out. Ford is the only witness to Hazelius' last words which unravel the mystery of Isabella but his knowledge of the truth proves less important than the world-changing message Kate plans to deliver to the world that could push humanity into a new era.
2008, SCI FI. All rights reserved.
