Noumenon

In 2088, humanity begins exploring beyond Earth's solar system using cloning technology that allows a single crew to replicate itself across generations. Astrophysicist Reggie Straifer has discovered an anomalous star that appears to defy the laws of physics and proposes a deep-space mission to determine whether it is a natural phenomenon or something manufactured. Reggie is among hundreds of elite experts cloned for the convoy of nine ships. However, clones are not exact copies, and each new generation develops its own quirks, desires, and neuroses. Over centuries, the society aboard the ships changes and evolves, but the mission remains constant: to reach the mysterious star and explore its origins and implications. This mosaic novel follows the crew members and AI across generations as they are born repeatedly into new lives. Through a series of vignettes, it chronicles their centuries-long odyssey to understand what lies beyond the limits of human knowledge and imagination.