FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION
I was fortunate, after publishing the first edition of this book, to meet many people with fascinating stories. I spoke with people who lost loved ones at the hands of cyberpsychos. I met the relatives of people whom I shot. Needless to say, not every conversation ended on good terms.
After some time, I learned what questions to expect from my readers. Have you ever been shot? (Yes, and I've lost count.) Who was the most difficult person to kill/arrest? (The 2063 Golden Springs Mall Killer – more titanium bone and synth-skin than man.) What causes cyberpsychosis? (I'll let you know when I find out!)
Then, at a book-signing in Heywood, I was asked a question I had never heard before: Is there anything that keeps me awake at night? After a moment's reflection, I realized the answer was yes. Perhaps most surprisingly, however, it was not nightmares of eviscerated cyberpsycho victims, nor the shrieks and cries of my squad mates as they burned alive. Cruel as it may sound, I grew used to that. It was just part of the job. No – what caused my heart to pound as I lie in bed late at night is the thought that one day I, too, could succumb to cyberpsychosis. The amount of cyberware I have incorporated into my body is substantial. Far more than most. I tried to drown the human parts of me that fear, that doubt. I am aware just how fragile my humanity is – that piece of myself deep within that makes me who I am. One poorly clipped neuron, one hormonal overdose, and that piece may disappear forever, leaving behind an automoton with only one desire: to kill. In truth, I forced my mind to race so I would not have to confront these thoughts.
Today, I still struggle with these demons, but I have asked my wife to keep a loaded pistol in her bedside table. If I begin to scream or rant incoherently in the middle of the night, I instructed her to empty the entire clip between my eyes. At first she objected, but our love is strong. It is thanks to my loving wife's promise that I sleep more soundly now than ever before in my life.
