Coming 2026
Book summary
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Welcome to New Oxford. watch your head.
Book summary
It started with a story...
The year is 2035 and New Oxford is a fully automated city powered its five districts: the Wind District, the Solar District, the Tidal District, the Fusion District, the Geothermal District.
This coming-of-age story follows non-verbal AuDHD teen, Ada Ikenna, and her support drone, ACE. She uses haptic gloves with sign-to-speech technology to communicate, with Ace as her voice.
Ada’s mother, Dr. Ikenna, invented the world’s first AGI, Adanna 6, and died in a tragic accident shortly thereafter – her technology dying with her as part of a failsafe.
On Ada’s 16th birthday, the technology reawakens and Ada accidentally unleashes it onto the fully automated city of New Oxford.
Ada and her brother, Ayden, must decide:
Will AI save humanity, or end it?
Empowering Critical Minds and Future Voices
Young Adult Science Fiction Novel, Ages 11-18
NEW OXFORD DAILY | SPECIAL REPORT
Hetty Harcourt | 19:00 Broadcast | 1st April 2036
Good evening. I’m Hetty Harcourt, New Oxford Daily with a special broadcast report commemorating New Oxford’s tenth anniversary.
For ten years, New Oxford has stood as the most ambitious technological experiment in human history. A fully automated city, powered entirely by clean energy, operated by machines, and guided by an Artificial General Intelligence known as Adanna 6.
At the centre of it all was Dr. Nneka Ikenna — Nigerian-British inventor, three-time Nobel Laureate, and the architect of AGI. Leader, visionary, mother, Dr. Ikenna was described by those who knew her as focused, compassionate, and trustworthy.
Dr. Ikenna not only created the world’s first and only AGI, but also paved the way for AI Safety by leading the London Protocol, a global agreement around AI governance in 2029.
On 2nd April, 2030, while at the height of her research in quantum computing, she tragically died in the UK’s largest recorded earthquake. Many of us lost loved ones that day. Still, Dr. Ikenna’s death was not only a tragedy for the two children she left behind, but for the entire field of technological innovation. Her brother and business partner, Uche Ikenna, was critically injured and withdrew from public life shortly thereafter, relocating abroad. Within a few days, Adanna 6, the world’s only AGI, was placed into indefinite standby while the highly classified technology was left to Dr. Ikenna’s two children: Ada, age 11, and Ayden, age 16, only to be unlocked once both children were at least 16 years of age.
Edison Innovations’ narrow AI system, Sentinel, was contracted to manage New Oxford’s infrastructure as a substitute for Adanne 6. Sentinel has kept the lights on, the drones flying, and services running on time.
For five years.
And then, six months ago, everything changed.
One particularly warm morning last October in the Tidal District, one of the city’s prototype firefighting drones was seen spraying a group of schoolchildren with water as they waited for their bus. Instead of dispersing, the children laughed and chanted “Big Red, Get Fed.”
That same morning in the Wind District, Inspection Vehicle Y — better known as IVY, New Oxford’s top security drone — took part in a chase of two unregistered vehicles. Rather than issuing the standardised citations, IVY accessed the cars’ internal audio systems and began conversing with the drivers. The drivers calmly pulled over and apologised, claiming IVY helped them realise that, and I quote, “What we were truly running from wasn’t the police, but ourselves.”
Empowering Critical Minds and Future Voices
In the Solar District, one farming drone, Farley Barley, was even reported to be harassing tourists with repeated verbal warnings: “Go back to London.”
But not everyone was amused by the sudden resurgence of AGI, despite its humorous new form. The fact this transpired the morning of Ada Ikenna’s 16th birthday didn’t go unnoticed.
Protest lines formed, anti-AI rallies followed, and what started as a call for more transparency quickly turned into a riot where several were rushed to the S. J. Blake hospital.
Then, in what took millions by surprise, New Oxford City Council, led by Mayor John Mallard, reinstated Adanna’s government contract, only this time with version 7 and sixteen-year-old Ada Ikenna and twenty-one-year-old Ayden Ikenna at the helm. This controversial move, however, came with strict stipulations, including a six month probationary period.
Now, at the conclusion of that six-month probationary period, New Oxford stands — by every measurable metric — a success.
Service drones operating under Adanna 7 have reduced emergency response times, assisted police in peacefully de-escalating the 25th of September riots, and worked alongside firefighters to contain the tragic blaze at the New Library. They have reunited hundreds of missing pets with their owners and, just last month, helped secure New Oxford’s victory in both the inaugural AI Drone Football Championship and UAMAX, the world’s largest autonomous aerial race.
The rebooting of Adanne 7 and continuation of Dr. Nneka Ikenna’s work has given us much to celebrate.
As New Oxford marks its tenth anniversary tonight, we at NOD extend our warmest wishes to residents across the city. May you have a safe and joyful evening.
This is Hetty Harc––
*crackle of the radio*
Hello?
Apologies, listeners — we appear to be experiencing an unexpected disruption.
If you can still hear me, please be aware that New Oxford is currently experiencing a city-wide signal and power outage. This broadcast is now being carried over AM radio.
Many residents had planned to mark the city’s tenth anniversary this evening with family and friends. The energy grid, it seems, had other plans. All residents are advised to stay indoors until this is resolved.
As of this moment, officials have not confirmed the cause of the blackout. Some are questioning whether this is the work of the anti-AI group, NSA, which has been growing in popularity these past six months.
Or, perhaps this outage is simply the failure of Adanna 7. Could this be the answer to the question we’ve all been wondering: Are Ada and Ayden Ikenna truly fit to carry on their late mother’s legacy?
We will continue to keep you updated with the latest verified reports.
This is Hetty Harcourt, New Oxford Daily, committed to reporting the truth, and only the truth.
"You don't have a glitch, Ada... You are the glitch."
Characters
All illustrations by Bryanna Bone, combining hand-drawn digital illustration with AI tools trained on her own work.
