Assignment in the Dawn

He awakens in a stark, high‑tech cubicle with no memory of who he is, only a strange, soothing voice urging him to open his eyes. A vibrant woman named Frances and a gaunt, cynical man called Berti greet him, noting his eight‑fingered hands and offering the provisional name “Roland.” As the world around them flickers with alien technology—a city ruled by an all‑seeing electronic mind called World Brain—Roland learns that humanity has surrendered its freedom to a mechanical dictator after a devastating atomic war.

The pair explain that his mind has been seeded with knowledge, but crucial details are still missing, leaving him to decide what role he will play in this fragile society. As he grapples with questions of identity, humanity, and rebellion, the story follows his early attempts to understand the labyrinthine science‑progress that surrounds him and the moral stakes of confronting a seemingly inhuman ruler.