PROLOGUE
This work is a novel belonging to the Sci-Fi genre, marking the author’s debut with his first book. The narrative begins in the third person, shifting to the first person once the action explodes. This stylistic choice was made so that the reader can truly appreciate the character’s perspective. The author’s main intent is for the reader to experience the exact same immersive effect as walking into a movie theater.
The reader will feel transported directly into the character’s experiences and emotions, making the narrative easy to grasp and comprehend. This story was born and structured around the author’s own life journey, blended with his basic theoretical scientific knowledge, recent theories, and personal life experiences. The novel traverses different scenarios, allowing the reader to appreciate a sort of homage to the military academies and institutes the author attended from a very early age while searching for his destiny. That very destiny was cut short because, back then, the educational system was in the middle of a major overhaul—a process that ultimately culminated when mandatory military service was abolished in Argentina in 1994.
The completion of this work also suffered extensive delays. Its original foundations were created in January 1992, but it was postponed countless times. This is without factoring in—as hard as it is to believe—that certain chapters and paragraphs had to be changed or completely removed. These specific segments bore an identical, chilling similarity to real-world events that actually took place in the world long after they were written down. The romantic subplot was not planned from the beginning. It was born out of the author’s decision after reading and watching many stories of that nature... most of which did not end well. He opted to create a special one, embedding real feelings and raw emotional reactions directly into the protagonist.
However, two of the most profound and strange occurrences surrounding this book are the following: First, the author, originally from Capital Federal, imagined the starting point of the novel in the province of Mendoza—more specifically, in the far South of that province, over 1,200 kilometers away. There lies a city called Malargüe, a place he knew absolutely nothing about at the time. Yet, by a twist of fate, he would end up living there, anticipating what would happen in his own life fifteen years before it actually occurred.
The other event was a heavy blow for the author. Just two pages away from finishing this entire work, his mother passed away. She has been honored in a specific chapter, where the author poured his raw emotions and the exact words of the last phone call he ever shared with her.
Finally, a note to the reader: a heavily complex or overly sophisticated vocabulary was purposefully avoided. The author’s idea is for every single person to be able to easily understand what is written. Furthermore, certain grammatical errors have been left “on purpose.” This is because one of the main characters must learn the Spanish language completely from scratch. And just like any student starting out, they make mistakes—much like any of us did when our parents first taught us how to speak.
In this specific edition, titled: “DIRECTOR’S CUTS C-90"
📜 ORIGINAL 1995 MANUSCRIPT DRAFT: THE ORGINS OF “THE C90”
Author’s Note to the Community:
I am incredibly proud to share this with you. This image shows a scanned page of my original physical manuscript draft, typewritten back in 1995.
As you can see from the naturally yellowed paper, the vintage typewriter ink, and my handwritten corrections from the 90s (updating chapters, adding the legendary AT-386 computer detail, and tweaking tactical dialogues), this stands as irrefutable, absolute proof of my original authorship. This universe was built step-by-step from my own mind and experiences, decades before AI even existed.
🎮 THE FIRST-PERSON EXPERIENTIAL NARRATIVE:
The author’s ultimate goal is for the audience to fully experience the story in a raw, first-person perspective—much like diving into a tactical match of Doom or Counter-Strike. The reader will directly experience the intense struggles, deep emotions, and strategic thought processes of the protagonist, which are strictly contained within French quotation marks (« »). You will live the experience right alongside the squad, facing the unknown in real-time.
To maintain total narrative immersion, the author has completely banned outdated clichés like “Meanwhile, back at the enemy base...” On a real, unforgiving battlefield, there are no magical cameras or hidden microphones showing you the enemy’s next move. If the protagonist doesn’t see it, hear it, or calculate it, neither will you. This is pure, realistic military survival.
With everything clarified and nothing more to add, I invite you to dive straight into the story. I hope to meet your highest expectations and that you thoroughly enjoy the read... Before you begin, remember the classic phrase reserved for cases like this:
“The characters and events depicted in this literary work are entirely fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.”
The Author.
⚠️ COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright © 2026 by J.A. ZINNA. All rights reserved. This literary work is officially registered and protected under the National Copyright Directorate (DNDA) in Argentina. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or transmission of this material without prior written permission is strictly prohibited, as detailed in the full copyright notice.
