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story identification - Novel(s) about a young women that survives an apocalypse and turns into a dragon?




I have vague memories about a novel or series of novels I borrowed from the library as a teenager (1990s). The protagonist was a young woman (pretty sure) who was exceptional. Civilization basically ended (nuclear war maybe). One significant trial she went through involved controlling an orbiting shuttle, trying to dock with a space station (maybe an orbiting Russian weapon?). Then somehow she transferred to a fantasy setting and became a dragon?


Update: A few more details I remember: The story starts out in the USA of the present (meaning the late 80s or early 90s, probably). The protagonist somehow receives early warning or is sheltered from the early parts of the apocalypse (nuclear or biological warfare I think) and goes to space to try to prevent further destruction.



Answer



This seems to have many points of convergence with David Palmers Emergence though unfortunately I don't remember a dragon transformation.


The heroine of the story is a young girl who is in a bomb shelter when civilization is destroyed by a biological attack. She is exceptionally intelligent and later discovers that she is a mutant - homo superior type thing.


After some adventures she finds others like her - most older - and they are attempting to launch a shuttle to stop a Russian doomsday weapon from being deployed.


She needs to go along to defuse the weapon as she is the only person small enough to reach the fuse of the weapon.


I hesitated to suggest this as an answer as I cannot remember any dragon related scenes but the rest of the question matches so well.


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