Aspiria Rising by Douglas Barton

Release date: November 15, 2017

Subgenre: Dystopian thriller 

About Aspiria Rising: 

 

Persecuted and Forced to Rebel against the Meritocracy

Like most people on his world, Dominy worships the ground scientists walk on. He can't wait to work with the brightest minds in the galaxy at Aspiria, the intellectual capital of civilization. Unfortunately, many of them are disappearing.

Desperate to solve the mystery, Dominy recruits a band of fellow academic trainees. Together they set out on a manic journey through deserted basements, forgotten particle accelerators, and jam-packed futuristic stadiums.

When they uncover a shocking conspiracy, Dominy realizes he may hold the key to keeping civilization alive. With time ticking away, he confronts the capital's leadership only to discover a madman is involved in an unimaginable galactic plot.

Aspiria Rising is a utopian sci-fi thriller for the ages. If you like mystery, heart-pounding suspense, and a touch of quirky romance, then you'll love Douglas Barton's debut novel.

Excerpt:

 

Dominy stood at the edge of the crowd in Sector Four, desperate to compete, desperate to start his new life at Aspiria.

Two moons, the color of polished copper, loomed above the academy's skyline. Like eyes, the orbs seemed to stare at him, measuring him up, assessing his intelligence. He turned around. The planet's fierce sun rested at the horizon. Later it would strike its vengeance. But not now.

It was a perfect morning.

He pushed through the throng of white-robed students and headed for a violet awning, the venue for his first-ever match. Dominy was the rare outsider selected to attend the academy, and he felt special, invincible. But he knew that wasn't true, not at Aspiria. His mother's words rang in his ears: Always exude confidence, regardless of your true feelings. Dominy wasn't so sure. He hadn't mastered that skill.

No time like the present. He stared straight ahead, laser-focused on the task at hand, and strutted along the quadrangle's cushioned surface. Walk tall. Walk tall. Walk tall.

"Hey, Dominy."

He turned to the familiar voice. Nalton. The frail student with a twisted spine was Dominy's assigned escort at Aspiria on this new world, the planet P1.

"Hey, race you to the arena?" Nalton sported a greatest-day-ever grin. The boy couldn't run but instead hobbled on thin legs like an injured bird.

Dominy returned the smile. He raised his fist toward the cobalt sky in salute to his new friend. "Absolutely."

He led Nalton through the crowd and they made their way atop a ten-meter-square competition platform awaiting Dominy's match. Nalton tapped the silver-rimmed stage with his sandal toe. "You ready?"

Dominy inhaled a whiff of ammonia. Nasty. Most likely, it had been used to swab away the sweat after the last match. Maybe he'd use that chemical smell as a trigger to focus during his match. "Sure." I am aren't I?

He pulled his processing notepad from his pocket and retrieved the dataset on his teammate, Shalene. For this match, he was only an assistant—a so-called handler—to Shalene. But he had to be at the top of his game anyway. She could call on him at any time. He glanced back at the leering moons. Assistant or not, leadership would measure his individual performance. For the rest of his life. His notepad flashed. Shalene's test scores and competition data scrolled up. Those mind-warping statistics! He hadn't even met the top-performing genius and he already idolized her.

The sun hung above the horizon, its rays coloring the academy's science laboratories a beautiful magenta. He closed his eyes and pictured himself working with Shalene, as partners, solving the galaxy's greatest problems.

Nalton tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, you sure you're okay, you look like you're dreaming."

At the north end of the arena, two young men approached the platform. "That's him! That's Vernan! He's the one!" Waves of cheers from the spectators greeted Vernan as he and his handler stepped up to the platform.

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About Douglas Barton:

Douglas Barton lives in Northern California where he writes science fiction to escape the mundane business world and express his vision of story worlds. He's married and has two half-human half-aliens (teenage boys). 

 

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