This is the beginning. Still Light is a tale that spans centuries, beginning in 2020 and ending in 2507. This volume covers the first thirty years, as transhumanity becomes dominant, the first AI are born, and the first posthuman is created. It is the story of Mia, Feng, and Zhukov, the developer, genius, and soldier, as they rise through the ranks of Abraxas, the hidden rulers of the world. Also featuring go-playing robots, secret organisations, a giant mushroom, holograms, virtual realities, a lovely cup of tea, a new generation of terrorists, two men watching a bird, a moment of true peace, a millennia-long fight using ecosystems as weapons, serial killing for a higher cause, beans excreted by cats, a glamorous party, the real meaning of jihad, someone riding an elephant in a palanquin, a completely new way of communicating, the rise of true artificial intelligence, and a friendly lady made of forests.