Limit of Vision

Blurb

Limit of Vision is a 2001 science fiction book by author Linda Nagata. As is the case with many of her novels, there is a strong focus on nanotechnology and genetic engineering. Also typical of her works, government and corporate corruption plays a large role in the story, in this case as antagonistic suppressors of generally positive and liberating transhumanizing technology.
Limit of Vision tells the story of a rogue colony of artificial, independently viable neural cells called asterids which escapes from containment aboard a corporate research lab in low Earth orbit. Plummeting to Earth, the colony's habitat lands off the coast of Vietnam, to be picked up by Ela Suvanatat, a freelance journalist. Ela is helped by a group of young children living under the protection of a ROSA named Mother Tiger, who see an opportunity to advance their lots in life by cooperating with the LOVs in a form of symbiosis. Events quickly spiral out of control as the corporate lab, Equasys, joins with the UN to eradicate the LOVs.