Edwin Starr asked the question about war. He declared definitively that war wasn’t good for anything and, yes, this song was part of the soundtrack that I listened to while writing the Syn-En series.
Yet, despite Starr’s anthem, technology emerges from conflict that benefits civilians. World War II gave us nukes and computers (I’m not sure that was a fair exchange but there you have it). And while I don’t have a small thermonuclear device in my house, I do enjoy my computers and other electronic devices.
Of course, the most obvious benefit of war is the advance in medicine. Conflict on the battlefield bleeds into the operating room. As we devise new ways to blow someone up: we also struggle hard to put them back together.
Which is what triggered the rise of my Syn-En.
I read an article about the new prostheses for our Iraq and Afghan vets. It was the next generation of artificial limbs—a blend of man and machine with computer chip integration. The next article was the use of artificial skin for burns. Each advancement was borne of war to heal, but how long before these advancements turned into enhancements to make indestructible soldiers?
What if, bit by bit, soldiers were deprived of healthy parts? What if, as the technology and resources invested in these new warriors meant it took longer to recoup the investment, lead to the soldier’s rights and freedoms to be stripped from them completely?
The cyborgs were created.
To fight the good fight, to defend humanity, to enter dangerous territory and rescue those in need, and to protect and rebuild after disasters (natural or otherwise).
Yet even in the birth of such potential for good, the seeds of war were planted.
And now, Earth is about to reap the harvest.
Syn-En: Home World available on pre-order for 99cents.
Nook (coming soon)
Linda Andrews 
This kind of real-possibility speculation is why I’ve loved this series so much.