The Merlin Gambit

From the book by John F. Carr and Dietmar Wehr, commissioned and published by Pequod Press, 2013.

Brand new for Aug. 2013, this is the sequel of "The Cosmic Computer" (in this gallery) set on the planet Poictesme, where, Merlin, a legendary super computer, was discovered-not under a dome of super hard collapsium, but, scattered within the fortress where the Federation launches it's warships.

In the sequel, The Federation suspects a twin of Merlin has been behind several successful pirate raids. One of the Federation defenders warships, the Ouroboros II, is being readied for battle...

But, will Merlin-whose predictions of events are legendary-once again amaze the Federation, or, will a faulty call, be the end of the "reign" of Merlin...

I tried to convey the good/bad feel of the story, in the shading of the dock area, and the "altar" like feel of the ship in dock, to suggest the God-like reverence of Merlin.