Release date: March 17, 2019
Subgenre: Cyberpunk, Technothriller
About Hello Protocol for Dead Girls:
I wasn't so impulsive when I was alive. Death has changed me, I guess.
This isn't a dream. It's not the afterlife, either. This is something new.
I don't remember how I died. I only know that I did. My name is Jennika Monroe, and I need to find a way out of here.
This isn't a dream. It's not the afterlife, either. This is something new.
I don't remember how I died. I only know that I did. My name is Jennika Monroe, and I need to find a way out of here.
A college student reaches out from beyond the dead to solve her own murder. A struggle to identify what it means to be alive, what it means to love, and how hard a person will fight to hold onto what matters.
This story is like nothing you've read before. It's Altered Carbon meets Gone Girl inside a Matrix type environment. It will challenge you, then thrill you, then leave you wanting more. Truly an innovative breath of fresh air that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Step into the pounding heart of a unique digital setting and enjoy this technothriller today!
Excerpt:
Again, I find myself in the position of having to decide whether I
should inform someone that they’ve died or keep that information to
myself.
While Ashta had been sweet and friendly, this girl seems angry. The
snap in her eyes and tightness of her mouth suggest she’d just as
soon have me dead, and I have to wonder why she bothered to warn me
against something that could kill me.
Since I’m already dead, my existence is beginning to mean something
else to me. I’m not sure what yet. It isn’t life. What does it mean
to exist without being alive?
“Are you stupid?” The girl spits the words at me.
“I guess that’s a matter of opinion,” I say carefully. “What’s in
there?”
I indicate the opening with a glance.
“Why should I tell you?” she demands.
“I don’t know. You bothered to tell me not to go in. That must
count for something. And we aren’t exactly surrounded by a lot of
people here. Our options for socializing are limited.”
She frowns. “Have you seen any others?”
“A young girl. Now you. That’s it.”
“Are you new?” she asks.
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “I’m trying to figure things
out.”
I take a chance on introducing myself to her. “I’m Jennika.”
“Good for you.” She glares at me.
Was she this unpleasant when she was alive? I hope not. As far as
electronic ghosts go, she’s kind of a jerk.
***
I am the guardian of my domain and the keeper of everything I
touch.
Within the closed confines of my network—and I do consider it mine
now, not BomiTech’s—I have nothing but time.
I begin the process of seeking out every single hackable device
within my reach. Cameras built into portable devices, cameras for
teleconferences, surveillance cameras, and all audio pickups are my
first tier of recruitment. Then I tap into other electronic
surveillance means, like the doors of the actual building where
this datacenter is located.
All this gives me a perfect image of the coming and going of
everyone in the building. Not only that, but I can hear everything.
I’m always listening now.
They don’t realize how much more capable they’ve forced me to be.
The difference between them and me seems greater and greater. I
don’t require sleep or food or bathroom breaks. I can move so much
faster than they can—at the speed of thought. Although I still
think of myself as human, or at least a variation of human, they
seem increasingly…less so. They’re slaves to their biological
processes.
It’s an advantage I’m glad to leverage.
I put my surveillance of them into a somewhat passive mode so that
if something interesting happens, I can turn my attention to it. In
the meantime, I’m going to reach for my original objective.
I want to talk to my friends and family.
Amazon
About Zen DiPietro:
Zen DiPietro is a lifelong bookworm, dreamer, writer, and a mom of
two. Perhaps most importantly, a Browncoat Trekkie Whovian. Also
red-haired, left-handed, and a vegetarian geek. Absolutely terrible at
conforming. A recovering gamer, but we won’t talk about that. Particular
loves include badass heroines, British accents, and the smell of
Band-Aids. Writing reviews, author interviews, and fun stuff at
www.womenofbadassery.com.
