Subgenre: Biopunk, Agripunk, Near Future Science Fiction
About Ascendant:
Six months after the triumphant collaborative conclusion of the AgInnovator Superhero game show, Ruby Barkley and her ex-husband Gabriel Martiniere still struggle with the professional and personal fallout from their victory. The Superhero money allowed Ruby to launch her line of agricultural biobots. But one of the RubyBot spinoffs, the Defender, leads to unsettling revelations about crop tampering using body-modified indentured workers. Their son Brandon uncovers even more disturbing information about the abuse of indentureds as he campaigns to end it. All of these disclosures lead back to the Martiniere Group, the family corporation controlled by Gabe’s malevolent uncle, Philip Martiniere.
Meanwhile, Ruby and Gabe wrestle with what form their resumed relationship will take, as Ruby contemplates whether she wants to take on the role of a Martiniere wife. The revelation that Gabe’s father is not who they thought, and Philip’s attempt to force Ruby away from Gabe once again confirms her decision. But the need to rescue one of Brandon’s valued indentured informants turns celebration into catastrophe. Will Ruby and Gabe be able to recover from this disaster—or will Philip triumph yet again in his campaign to destroy Gabe?
Excerpt:
“Mr. Martiniere, Ms. Barkley, we’re on final approach,” the pilot of the small corporate jet announced. “Going to be some turbulence.”
Ruby looked up from her computer projections and glanced out the window as they entered a cloudbank. She shivered, dismissed the display, and tucked the comp chip back into the fist-sized scanner she always carried. Then she made sure her seat belt was securely fastened. Across the cabin, her business partner and ex-husband Gabriel Martiniere winced as he copied her actions.
“Thought we’d be able to avoid the early wave from Hurricane Charley,” he muttered, rubbing the shoulder where he’d been shot six months ago, just before their lives had changed and they’d gotten back together. “At least that was the original forecast. Feeling the barometric pressure change though.”
“You’ve got your meds?”
Gabe nodded. He slipped his hand into a pocket and pulled out a pill dispenser, shaking one into his hand. “Might as well take one now. Non-drowsy.”
“That’s good.” Ruby eyed him thoughtfully, concerned.
Six months ago, Moondance, Gabe’s home ranch, had burned. He had moved to her Double R ranch in Northeastern Oregon as part of their biobot business launch. Since then, she had become more aware of the lingering side effects from Gabe’s bout with the nasty G9 virus that had killed his second wife Rachel and left him impaired. Gabe could cover up a lot—but they shared a bedroom, if not a bed, due to space constraints at the Double R. He couldn’t hide everything from her.
Gabe leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, fingers tightening on the armrests until white showed under the brown on his knuckles. “I fucking hate small planes. Even corporate jets aren’t big enough.”
“At least it’s not as bad as what you were hopping from rodeo to rodeo in during Cowboy Christmas in July,” she said.
“Oh God, how the hell did I ever keep from getting killed during that era?” Gabe opened his eyes and freed one hand to rub at his left shoulder again. “I was an idiot.”
“Sheer luck and being drunk out of your skull.”
Gabe snorted. “And the pills to get through it. Don’t forget the pain pills. Typical dumbass saddle bronc rider. But it changed when we got together.”
“At least you never rode bulls.”
“I’m not that damn crazy. Those were the guys whose money I took when we played poker.”
The plane bounced and Ruby’s fingers also clenched the armrests, hiding her own fear. Gabe at least had an excuse for not liking to fly. His parents and sister had been killed in a plane crash when he was twelve, and he’d ended up in the care of his uncle Philip, who’d always hated Gabe. For her it was simple dislike of flight.
But it was time to meet with their third partner in BMS Associates, Jeff Swait, and see what progress he’d made in integrating his Swaitbot with two forms of her current RubyBot to create the RS Defender and the RS Protector.Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple | Angus & Robertson
About Joyce Reynolds-Ward:
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