The Uplift Protocol: Book Zero. Review

The Uplift Protocol: Book Zero

By 

Fiannawolf. 

Warning: This review will contain minor spoilers. 

The Uplift Protocol Book Zero is a superhero space opera that details the rise of Eliza Murphy the Superhero known as the Star-Spangled Banner. A young girl who is being prepared by her family for a future conflict involving a group of aliens known as Void Walkers and the enigmatic King Toth. Who seek Unity; a cosmic force with the power to end all life in the universe. The book also focuses on the history of the Murphy family and their connection to alien powers who have an interest in seeing humanity join the greater galactic community. But Uplift Protocol forbids open contact with humans and causes conflict inside the family as dubious actions are taken to protect young Eliza and prevent the coming war from starting too soon.

For those not in the know, this is story is posted on her blog and may have various errors. So in a way, it is a sample before she moves onto a physically published copy. So if you decide to read it yourself keep that in mind. It is divided into 25 issues.

Overall Book Zero is a good story. It has a large and very detailed world with honest and fun superheroes with happily married couples and large families. The main character is likable and there are conflicts ranging from superheroes punching and blasting bad guys. To the internal conflicts of interstellar politics and family quarrels due to bad marriages. There are mysteries that are set up with some things answered and new questions raised from those answers. I honestly want to know the answers to all the questions raised and see where it all leads.

All the heroic characters are likable Eliza is a hero and she has good friends in the form of Eddie and Lori. Thomas and Jeniffer Murphy are good parents with good grandparents. Thomas Murphy has the ultimate bro in the form of Argus Paxton. If you are a dog person you'll like all the dog characters she has in the story and there are a lot of them. 

The villains are at best mostly a non-entity. Chronos does some stuff in the very early chapters but not much else. No clear idea on why he wants to unleash the Unity and kill everyone. Toth, you learn more about that he was a usurper to the throne, or was a legitimate king who inspired a rebellion, who was kicked out for necromancy. He also wants to end all life and claim the Unity and he gets more focus than Chronos but not much. I think this is mostly to keep them in the shadows for Book 1 to reveal more about them. 

Overall they are mostly in the shadows since it is implied that they can't act openly or it will allow the other races to directly intervene and break the protocol. Since they are aliens intervening that means the other side can intervene directly as well. That or they are far too weak and the other spacefaring races could crush them without effort. But I believe it is the former due to certain actions taken in the book on the heroic side. 

The best part about Uplift Protocol is the setting. It is a nice and happy kind of place, conflict still exists but overall you want to be apart of that world. You have heroes being heroes and helping others, helpful aliens trying to make humanity even better, and loving marriages with healthy families. No winks or nods or subversion and even when a family member makes decisions that others disagree with it is clear that everyone still loves each other in the end. Also, it has pure evil villains no sign of sad sacks or sympathy here and they actually appear to be a threat. I would like them to be hammier as well but I may see the ham come out in Book 1.

Much better than anything DC or Marvel or well any of the old comic companies put out these days. But no one in current Hollywood is going to touch this. Far too optimistic and mostly drama-free and heroes with actual families and hobbies. I would recommend taking a look at this series yourself and then buy it whenever it gets published. 

It also has some scarily similarities with Star Warden but with some zig where I zagged in places. I guess minds tired of the current entertainment think alike. But the next part of the review is where I want to get into some personal opinions. Which will get into some spoilers. If you would like to avoid those. Here is a link to Uplift Protocol. 

Uplift Protocol

Uplift Protocol Question.  

So Uplift Protocol only allows certain humans mainly government leaders to know about aliens and aliens are forbidden from operating openly with humans. They all live in Area 51 and have their own half to stay in which humans are forbidden from going into. So kind of like the Men in Black. But in the story, Jeniffer aka J'ino Ayeer is allowed to marry and have kids with Thomas Murphy who is all in all human. Introducing alien material into the human genome seems like a clear violation and direct interference.

Another moment in the story happens when one of the Bardaxians (a race of sapient dogs) gives Doctor Impossible's corgi a serum in order to uplift Earth dogs. The former situation I could see as an exception since Eliza is mostly passed off as fully human. But this seems like a massive breach of the rules as this is clearly direct interference by an uplifted species on Earth. Which is implied in the story to be an absolute big no-no that can get a person's memory scrambled. 

I hope it is not a rule for thee and not me scenario where aliens actually have free reign but the humans are under restrictions. I doubt that is the case but it seems odd because if the corgi is uplifted obviously she is going to have to keep her state a secret and lie to Doctor Impossible due to the rules of uplift. Most of the characters are in the military so everyone will most likely understand the reasons for secrecy. It just seems cold though she may never be able to fully communicate with her dog now.

Speaking of the rules of uplift there is one other subject I wanted to get to and it's about one of the alien races. Specifically the Typherians.

Typherians 

Typherians are one of the races in Uplift Protocol who shape interstellar policy, they appear similar to humans and have gray eyes. They are also known for psionic abilities ranging from telepathy to matter manipulation. They have odd spines and talk to their children psychically in the womb and are a class 4 species. They are also incredibly smug.

Let me say this is my strictly personal interpretation of the few Typherians that appear in book zero and you're mileage may vary. But as a first impression, baring  J'ino, Typherians radiate an unbearable smugness. Like a nuclear warhead made from snobbery was just unleashed. 

Now I was debating if it was enough to even put into this review. After all, a few sample sizes are not enough to determine an entire race. It's like judging all Turians from the experiences of the First Contact War in Mass Effect. But then I remembered one part of the story and it helped me focus on why I have this feeling of unease when I saw them or at least their leadership.

It was in Issue 22 when Eliza herself got past the barrier the Typherians set up around human space. She rescues some aliens in a damaged ship nearing a black hole. Then the Typherians come around and they memory hole the event. Now in the next part of the Issue the Typherian who did the memory wipe claims reluctance. At first, I was fine with it since she didn't like having to do something distasteful but then I had another thought. Why didn't she just tell Eliza to keep quiet about what she's learned, because Eliza's mother gives her something she shouldn't know but refrains from a memory wipe. 

The Typherian in question is related to Eliza and so would know that Eliza can keep a secret and won't ask questions on sensitive topics. So why did she decide to tamper with her memory anyway when she didn't want to do that. I had two thoughts on the subject either A. She's not actually reluctant about it and is just presenting an affable front or B. She can't do that because the Typherians are playing thought police on Earth and would find that Eliza knows something she shouldn't.

This could be considered an uncharitable interpretation of the facts but the scenario reminded me of something. The Typherians are the Citadel Council, if you have played Mass Effect then you know the Council is not popular. Considering they obstruct your progress and then complain that you didn't complete your missions the approved way. They also nearly prevent you from saving the Citadel when they lock down the Normandy before Ilos thinking they had Saren beaten. 

They had the same smug self-important attitude which the Typherians displayed. Eliza despite being known to them and is apparently an example being used to convince the Uplift Council to give Humanity uplift status still has to have her mind wiped. Frankly, I'm not sure if I actually believe the King of Typha is actually helping and is more likely making sure his agents keep Eliza in check. Don't want to give the puny earthlings ideas above their station as subjects of the Ascendency.

Granted I do not believe this is Fianna's intention and that the text is being honest about everything. But their actions are not congruent with their words and that aside from J'ino they don't actually care about Earth just asserting their authority. Considering they are quick to tamper with the mind, a very intimate part for humans, I find it highly suspect that they have come bearing gifts and wish to help. Plus in one scenario a Typherian Admiral wants to bring Star in to handle some dark matter smuggler, and Doctor Impossible calls her out because she knows another memory wiping would happen. It gives off the impression that the Typherian leadership sees Eliza as a blunt instrument they can do with as they please and even if the humans complain they can brush it off.

I bet that's why the Admiral was so "impressed" that Lorian read the riot act at her. She was caught off guard that one of the peasants managed to talk back to her betters and decided to indulge what she saw as a temper tantrum. Hyperbolic I know and the Admiral swore not to lock away any more memories but I frankly don't trust her to keep her word. Their actions do not promote confidence, considering that despite the fact Eliza saved lives. Because she didn't do it the way the bureaucrats on Typha approved of she gets punished. 

Book 1 may reveal some information that would make my claims baseless and I am completely fine with that. My argument was to explain why I get this feeling of arrogance and condescension whenever I read Typherian characters outside of J'ino. Perhaps I am way too suspicious and jumping to conclusions. But I do remember that sometimes the ancient and powerful races don't have the best interests of everyone at heart. Vorlons anyone?

To wrap things up the Typherians are currently more sus than a game of Among Us. Most likely all of this has good intentions. Protecting humanity from the darkness of the galaxy so we don't jump in blind get hurt and become all hard-edged and xenophobic. But the lengths the Typherians go through in the name of protection give off the tyrant's edge. Always doing everything they can to protect while slowly taking away a person's rights. In this case, it is the right to mental privacy.

This does not hurt my view of the story overall in any way. Uplift Protocol is a good story and maybe there's something I still don't understand. Perhaps maybe some of them agree that what they are doing is shady but can't do anything yet due to the upcoming conflict. Don't want to divide the nation and allow enemy infiltrators to take advantage. I just don't trust the Typheran leadership right now and just them not the entire race.