New York's Central Park — to receive further transmissions. Though Blake passes the necessary information along to Cleo, she is quickly arrested by the Sect and sentenced by Colossus to spend three months at an "Emotional Study Center" on the island of Tahiti, where she is repeatedly raped as part of an experiment designed to help Colossus better understand human emotion. Now under suspicion, Blake approaches Forbin, who is devastated by his wife's arrest. Explaining the details of their plot, Blake convinces Forbin to help after explaining the details of Cleo's captivity. Forbin travels in disguise with the requested information, first to St. John's, then to New York City, where he receives an incomprehensible mathematical problem that the transmission claims will destroy Colossus once it is fed into the computer. Upon his return, Forbin slips the problem to Blake, who enters it into Colossus. While Forbin converses with the computer, Colossus begins to make verbal errors, then stops. Increasingly erratic, it attempts to warn Forbin of a threat from outer space that it was preparing to meet, but breaks down before it can complete the message. Now free of Colossus' rule, Blake moves to seize power, using the automated fleets of the Sea War Games to threaten the world's capitals. As Blake gloats, Forbin tells him of Colossus' warning. Requesting any reports of unusual astronomical activity, they learn that two contacts have been detected leaving Martian orbit and are now heading toward the Earth. The novel ends with the two men hearing a radio transmission repeating "Forbin, we are coming". Principal characters Professor Charles Forbin — The Director of Staff for Colossus and his chief human representative, in his early fifties. Doctor Cleopatra "Cleo" June Markham Forbin — Forbin's wife, twenty-eight years old. A former member of the Colossus design team, she is now an active member of the Fellowship seeking to destroy the computer. Doctor Edward Blake — Another former member of the design team, he is the Director of Input for Colossus and a leader of the Fellowship. Angela — Forbin's secretary. Galin — Formerly known as Alex Grey, he was an administrator who was one of the founding members of the Sect. Colossus — Central defense computer of the United States of North America and now the world. Guardian of Democratic Socialism, a.k.a. Guardian — Central defense computer of the Soviet Union, now integrated with Colossus. Continuity