Meanwhile, U.S. armed and cyber forces across the globe find themselves on high alert as they learn an unforgiving lesson. Warfare has evolved beyond armies, vehicles, techno-terror attacks, and weapons of mass destruction. These guardians of air, sea, space, and cyberspace face a new breed of emboldened enemy whose attacks threaten millions via mere thought or virtual swipes of a hand. The traditional rules of warfare reek of obsolescence in this new realm of sentient combat.In the background, a communication and social corporate titan carelessly pulls the strings of humankind by wielding its power in a world careening towards chaos.