This is a followup to the Michael Crichton novel The Andromeda Strain but set 50 years later. The book is written by Daniel H. Wilson.
After the discovery of the Andromeda Stain, Project Wildfire was established to discovery and prevent another worldwide epidemic. Project Wildfire is located at Petersen AFB in Colorado and has access to every government satellite and computer system. The Andromeda Strain mutated into another strain (AS-2) which isn't harmful to humans or animals but it does attack and dissolves synthetic rubber which modern aircraft and rockets have. A substance was invented to coat synthetic rubber and prevent AS-2 from dissolve it but the AS-2 is still in Earth's atmosphere. AS-1 and AS-2 do not recognize each other and won't combine to create a new strain.
After 50 years, Eternal Vigilance discovers an anomaly in Brazil that matches the Andromeda Strain's characteristics and they initiate a program,Project Wildfire, to explore and figure out what it is. Among the team are a doctor from India who is the team leader, a Chinese Army officer who is a pilot and speaks a number of languages, the son of one of the original team who examined the original Andromeda Strain back in 1967, a field scientist from Kenya, an astronaut on the International Space Station, and an Army Sergeant Field Medic.
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