Freedom™ (2010)

Freedom™ is a science fiction action novel, the sequel to Daemon, by American writer Daniel Suarez. It continues the story of a distributed, persistent computer application, known as The Daemon, that begins to change the real world after the original programmer's death.

Plot

Deceased genius game developer Matthew Sobol's distributed artificial intelligence The Daemon has infiltrated the computer systems of numerous companies and governments. Many companies have surrendered, either out of fear of annihilation or because they have been converted to the fairer and more efficient system using a kind of government by algorithm. While the Daemon is a technological creation, much of the work is performed by humans, compelled by the Daemon to change the world, according to the vision of Sobol.

Connected by the Darknet, the human followers, using Sobol's game engine (for his award-winning game The Gate) as a base, have created their own ranking system and economy. Online identities mimic an massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), with operatives performing tasks to gain status and access to new technologies and help from the Daemon in an effort to advance their communities. Numerous US towns have slowly joined the Daemon's network as a means to improve their own situations and their society as a whole.

The rest of the world believes the Daemon is still a hoax, due to the efforts of the US government (and its allies) to appear to the general public that they are still in control. In truth, the American political and economic system is collapsing, with the price of fuel and the unemployment rate both skyrocketing.

As with the first book, the interweaving stories follows specific characters.

Pete Sebeck

Sebeck, an unwilling Daemon operative, has been sent on a quest by the avatar of the late Matthew Sobol, one which will determine the role of freedom for the human race. Using augmented reality eyeglasses to see online Darknet items and threads, Sebeck is joined by another Daemon operative, Laney Price, and he soon learns that his quest is being monitored by the entire Darknet community.

Sebeck begins his quest meeting another operative named Riley, who introduces him to the newly growing Daemon communities, dubbed Holons, which are based on being self-sufficient, using natural energy sources and technologies, and avoiding the military-industrial complex opposed to the type of freedom that the Daemon communities want. Riley teaches Sebeck how to navigate the Darknet and to use it to his advantage. Laney and Sebeck journey around the country, witnessing important events in the history of the Daemon. Sebeck reunites with Jon Ross in Greely, Iowa, one of several Midwestern towns chosen by the elite powers for invasion and destruction. Sebeck's Darknet quest thread returns, and he and Laney follow it through enemy lines, only to discover that it is a trap laid by the Major, who has developed a means of infiltrating the Daemon mainframe and make slight alterations.

After being bound and interrogated by the Major, who offers to give him his former life back as a detective, husband, and father in return for his cooperation and information, Sebeck refuses. As he and Laney are taken to be executed via a wood chipper, Loki arrives with a pack of Razorbacks, killing their captors, and Moseley arrives to rescue him and Price. Reuniting with other Darknet faction members, Sebeck participates in the attack on the Sky Ranch that results in the destruction of the corporate monopoly and the Daemon research team.

After the fighting, Sebeck resumes his quest and travels with Laney, Jon Ross, and Natalie Phillips to Morgan's Point Cemetery in Texas. The avatar of Mathew Sobol reveals his intentions and desires for a world in which all are equal. Having seen both sides and the war that followed, Sebeck decides that the Daemon is not a threat and accepts the world's transformation. Sebeck is rewarded with an online message from his son Chris, who forgives him for all that has happened, and Sebeck happily heads home to be reunited with his family.

Jon Ross

Jon Ross, fearing both the established authority and the actions of people like Loki, has joined the Daemon community to help shape it into a thing for good. He travels to China to recruit an old friend (and former spy) Shen Liang, but Liang refuses to believe that the Daemon network is real. Using Daemon technology that cloaks his image on CCTV cameras, Ross escapes before he can be taken into custody. Ross attempts to convince Natalie Phillips to join the Daemon community, but she rebuffs him. Ross then heads to Greely, meeting Hank Fossen and awaiting Sebeck's approach. The reunion is short-lived when they learn that Greely is surrounded by private security forces.

Ross joins several other townsfolk to defend Greely, but they are outnumbered and outmatched by the heavy weapons and armored fighting vehicles of the private security forces. They are almost killed, but the virtual Darknet avatar of Roy Merritt, a Level 200 champion, rescues them and defeats the private security forces with airborne laser drones after they refuse to surrender. Ross worries that Natalie will be in danger from Loki's impending attack on Sky Ranch, Ross travels there to give her a Darknet Amulet of Protection. After the battle is won, he and Natalie join Sebeck in the last leg of his quest, preparing for a life together.

Natalie Philips

At the funeral for Roy Merritt, NSA Agent Natalie Philips is approached by Loki who informs her that the Daemon operatives attending are there to honor his memory. Merritt has become a folk hero of the Darknet, referred to as The Burning Man by the Darknet users, who respect him for his tenacity. Loki tries to show her that she is working for the wrong side, but instead, she attempts to warn the authorities. In response, Loki attacks a number of funeral attendants—but only members of Korr Security International, the private military contractor which employs The Major.