Cover reveal and first chapter!
This book has been over four years in the making. Two NaNo writes, six plot overhauls, four different endings, and endless hours of neglect for my poor, loving, supportive family.Now it's finally time to reveal the story to you. I hope you love it as much as I do!Trailer and Cover byMAKEREADY DESIGNS(Me!)Photography byMarsha Keeney PhotographyModel: Rhiannon Johanson
Her touch is electric. Her heart is at war. Her existence is no longer her own.On the military space station, Athena, everyone must contribute or risk being exiled to the barbaric planet, Kronos. A placement in Weapons Engineering is the only hope of becoming a recognized citizen of The Network for a genetically modified human like Helia Langdon. When she’s forced into training as a soldier, it becomes clear that she will always be as much a prisoner as the day she arrived.But Athena isn’t the only one interested in Helia’s electrokinetic abilities.Her best friend is trying to contain her powers. The boy who betrayed her is trying to shield them. An arrogant new Recruit has plans to use them.An entire army wants to unleash them.To uncover the truth about her past and the plans for her future, Helia must do the hardest thing she’s ever done.Trust the enemy.°°°CHAPTER ONEThe soldiers can’t touch me.And they know it.Their hands hover tensely above their weapon belts—proof they don’t believe I’m as innocent as my large blue eyes make me seem. The curved metal of the long hallway bears down on me, and I can sense every molecule of space between myself and the thick-shouldered men walking on either side. Three more march a few paces behind. I tug on the dark gloves that cover my thin fingers, knowing the discomfort is mutual.The soldier’s hand twitches over his Tase gun every time I make the slightest movement. It’s not like that weapon would do anything; I could crush the metal and his throat before he pulled the trigger.If I took off my gloves, that is.The soldier and I make eye contact for one second through the long, loose waves of my pastel violet hair, and my limbs hum with irritation. I hardly need a brigade of full-fledged soldiers to find my way to the Council office. But I guess after eight years the administration still trusts me about as much as I trust them.The silence of my guards drags through me, pulling little pinches of fear from the edges of my mind. My reflection flashes in a small porthole as we pass, the blackness of space highlighting my long face and dotting my pale skin with the stars I long to return to. The hazy curve of Kronos is barely visible as we make our orbit, and I feel trapped—stuck in a way I’ll never get used to.The only thing that could make this situation worse is if Council decides to send me to Kronos. All my muscles pull in to try and crush the thought, but I haven’t been able to so much as dent it since I was summoned from my workshop.I’m going to be sent away. There’s no other explanation for why I have to stand before the Council three days before my birthday.I’ll be nineteen, officially an adult, and instead of giving me a placement, they may finally boot me out.Endless panels of smooth metal line hallways I travel every day, suddenly seeming smaller, more ominous as I force my feet forward. The lights hum in a hypnotizing rhythm overhead, mixing with the thud of our steps. We finally come to a door with a large red bar that reads RESTRICTED ACCESS in thick bold letters. The warning mixes with my nerves, and I fail all over again at trying to stamp out the flame of fear in my gut.The soldier on my left places a hand on the panel embedded into the wall. It flashes, beeps, and the door slides, forcing my mind open at the same time.Crackling memories pop behind my eyes, like a screen stuck between two video feeds, fighting for domination. Screaming fills my ears like static. I’m unable to take another step forward, and my thick-soled, knee-high boots skid on the grated floor. Electric current forces its way between my skin and uniform, crawling up my neck and into my hair.Both soldiers take out their Tase guns, widening their stances in case I lose it, which has happened before. Sometimes I can’t stop the images of my eleven-year-old-self being dragged through these same doors as electricity exploded along my struggling limbs. I push deep, shuddering breaths through my lungs as I try to gather up all this erratic energy, gesturing to the soldiers that I'm fine. The older I get, the less often I need to be subdued. I tip my chin to my chest, breathing slow like my trainer taught me.“They're waiting for you,” a soldier says, his voice strained but calm. Glancing at him again, his wary eyes center me. I can’t show fear in front of them.Setting my thin shoulders and lifting my sharp chin, I force down my feelings, swallowing them up and burying them in the darkest parts of me.We continue into the much cleaner halls of Administration, where the government officials of the Network and the military leaders of Athena run the powerful military base.Everything is bigger, brighter, and more spacious beyond the thick metal doors. My boots barely make a sound on the solid floor, the panels bolted in tight, unlike the loose plates of the regular halls with hissing pipes exposed underneath. Here, everything is neatly tucked away under a polished shine, like secret struggles kept in locked boxes, giving the illusion of an easy life. It makes me nervous.Two more sets of similar doors bring us to the Council office and everything in me wants to spin on my heel and book it back to my workshop. Too bad I’m surrounded.The soldiers stop at the threshold where metal turns to intricate tile, unable to follow me inside and unwilling to meet my eye.This can’t be good.My eyelids flutter as I enter the blindingly white domed room. Metal and glass touch every feature, like most of Athena, but not a single imperfection. No rust. No underlying staleness of recirculated air. Living in space makes any kind of resources precious, and the expensive or luxurious is only for the elite.“Helia,” the General of the Athenian Army addresses me. “So wonderful to see you.”Sitting at the center of a long curved glass table, a reflection of blue lights dance along his dark skin as the surface turns to a computer screen.“Hello, sir.” The crackling nerves under my skin are soothed by the warmth of his smile and the familiar wrinkles around his aging eyes. The General isn’t on the Council, but he’s the father of my best friend Eion. My shoulders unwind a little bit, knowing he’s here to advocate for me. I bet Eion forced him to. She’s the only person who can push him around.The rest of the Council sits four people on either side of the General. Five men and three women—elected from each of the fourteen stations in the Network’s fleet. I know most of the aging members by face but not name. The Council—along with high ranking officials—doesn’t mix with the staff, soldiers, and training recruits who fill the halls I’m allowed in.Because I was originally brought to Athena as a prisoner, I’ve been the center of a few of these meetings. Often they end in me vibrating with white hot hatred, gazing at the stars and wishing I was back home with my father, while they all argue about what to do with me.“Helia Langdon.” The woman next to the General speaks in a low bored tone, the pile of white hair swaying high on her head. “You’ve been called on today to discuss your future here on Athena.”I clasp my hands behind my back and swallow the vortex of nerves that swirl up my throat like bile.“I put in my application for the engineering department months ago.” I launch straight into my argument, knowing I only have a few minutes before they forget I'm here or that maybe I have some ideas about how I want to live my life. “I know I only put one department on my preferences, but I assumed with my particular… modifications… it was the only place for me.” Clearing my throat pushes down the terrified part of me that expects this is where they tell me I’m out; they’re sending me away now that I’m all grown up.“Why do you wish to work in engineering when you could train as a recruit? To speak of assumptions, we on the Council were under the impression you’d want to train.”“I’m sorry, Madame Councilwoman. I didn’t think with my past—” The words get stuck at the back of my throat, and the councilwoman waves her hand dismissively.“Do you not spend most of your time in the training quad fighting in the Cage?”She gestures to a computer screen at her fingertips. Files and photographs of me waver through the air, and my eyebrows pinch together. A looping video goes blurry and then in focus as the camera zooms. In it, I'm wearing a special gear-suit—headgear, gloves, and shoes—and engaged fully in the virtual simulation. It's weird to see myself from the outside like this, and I struggle to remember my argument.“I spend most of my time in my workshop, Madame. Building things. I do love to fight, but I can’t become a recruit. I’m a Mod. I would be a terrible soldier.”Why this wasn’t clear to them made my head fuzzy. Years of spinning memories played behind my eyes—all obvious indications that I could never be an Athenian Soldier—but the biggest and most glaring was my skin. It’s not the fact that I’m a genetically modified human; it’s that my touch can be lethal. Even getting clearance to fight virtually was a struggle, and now they want me to be a recruit?“I would think that becoming a soldier would be beneficial.” A black-haired man at the opposite end of the table speaks slowly, and it's painful to listen to, the words interjecting through my light-speed thoughts.“I’m not sure what you mean…” Mostly, I'm wondering how switching to a recruit is the reason I’m here when I’d been mentally preparing to make my case for not being thrown out into space to suffocate and die. Or worse, get sent to Kronos.“It’s clear, Helia, that you would be an asset—”The General stands abruptly, leaning over the desk like he does in his station addresses, stealing the attention of everyone in the room.“It’s clear, Glenand, that the girl isn’t interested in being a soldier. I’ve spoken at great length with her mentor, and we both advise the Council place her in Weapons, under the direct supervision of my daughter. It’s the safest place for everyone, and you know it. We’ve seen how the recruits treat her.”With each word, the General’s shoulders widen, and I’ve spent enough time around him to know there’s more to what’s happening than I understand. Exactly like I thought—I’m brought in to talk, and then no one lets me say anything. Sparks crackle under my uniform, and I stare at the wall to calm myself.“We’ve taken your recommendation into account General, and we believe this is a mistake.” Folding her hands on the glass table, Glenand purses her lips and challenges the General with a condescending glare.“She will not become a recruit,” the General says, his voice tilting into the commanding tone of the most powerful person on the entire station, maybe in all of the Network, next to the president, of course. The force of his tone sets me back a couple steps, and I want nothing more than to be in my workshop with the airlocks sealed, buried in a mountain of metal and grease. “It’s a ridiculous use of Council time to hold a full meeting to discuss the placement of one girl.”“We only wanted to interview her, General, as we often do with those we feel are better suited to a different department.”“I have never witnessed one of these interviews.”“You are never so personally invested in the future of any of our Recruits…” Glenand’s voice trails off with accusations, and the General’s features tilt into a dangerous glare.Frustration locks onto all my joints, and I open my mouth to interject, but the General’s voice booms over my thoughts.“I am personally invested in every citizen and soldier who resides on this station. Are you implying I’m exercising favoritism to—”“Excuse me?” I blurt out loudly, current fighting under my uniform. Everyone turns to me, and I silently chastise myself for being unable to keep my mouth closed. Especially when I’m angry. Especially when I could be out on my talisa with nothing. I have their attention now, I may as well argue. “What about what I want? I don’t want to be a soldier. I want to build. I want to fight, but for fun. For exercise. That’s all, Madame Councilwoman. I know I’m not technically a citizen, and I want to contribute, I do. But not as a soldier.”With a flip of his palm, the General gestures to me like he’s won the argument, and I’m glad I didn’t have to fight this one on my own. With fists I can fight. With words, not so much. Eight years of near solitude will do that to a person.“Unfortunately, Miss Langdon, the Council must sign off on all placements, no matter how you or the General feel about it. However, we did discuss this particular outcome and are willing to offer you a compromise. A split placement.”I don’t understand what a split placement means but a visceral protest starts in my knees and ends with a shaking head.“You work under Eion in the Weapons department and you attend Advanced Seminar with the new recruits. We understand your personal limitations, which is why you will train academically until further notice.”I turn over my hands, gloved and protected. “I can’t.”“This is non-negotiable, Recruit. I’m afraid you’re going to have to find a way.” Glenand taps at her desk, and the screens shut down. Scraping chair legs vibrate through my body as Council members stand and exit the round room through an alternate door. My mind scrambles, trying to find a way out of this.The best excuse I have is something I’ve never allowed myself to say—the real reason I ended up a prisoner on a military base. Speaking of it would not only cause a world of trouble for me, but also for those my father bribed to keep our secret, the General being one of them. His hard stare is on me now like I better not open my mouth. I know protecting his position is more important than protecting me, but it doesn't stop the small swell of abandonment that boils in the base of my stomach.“I’m sorry, Helia. I tried.” As he backs from the room, my hands clench into fists, forcing the hurt to anger.The same soldiers who brought me here are back at my sides, and the urge to hit one of them makes my fingers twitch.Thankfully I’m scheduled to fight today. At least I get to hitsomeone, even if it’s only virtual.Sign Up for the Quirks and Commas November newsletter to read CHAPTER TWO AND THREE!
Her touch is electric. Her heart is at war. Her existence is no longer her own.On the military space station, Athena, everyone must contribute or risk being exiled to the barbaric planet, Kronos. A placement in Weapons Engineering is the only hope of becoming a recognized citizen of The Network for a genetically modified human like Helia Langdon. When she’s forced into training as a soldier, it becomes clear that she will always be as much a prisoner as the day she arrived.But Athena isn’t the only one interested in Helia’s electrokinetic abilities.Her best friend is trying to contain her powers. The boy who betrayed her is trying to shield them. An arrogant new Recruit has plans to use them.An entire army wants to unleash them.To uncover the truth about her past and the plans for her future, Helia must do the hardest thing she’s ever done.Trust the enemy.°°°CHAPTER ONEThe soldiers can’t touch me.And they know it.Their hands hover tensely above their weapon belts—proof they don’t believe I’m as innocent as my large blue eyes make me seem. The curved metal of the long hallway bears down on me, and I can sense every molecule of space between myself and the thick-shouldered men walking on either side. Three more march a few paces behind. I tug on the dark gloves that cover my thin fingers, knowing the discomfort is mutual.The soldier’s hand twitches over his Tase gun every time I make the slightest movement. It’s not like that weapon would do anything; I could crush the metal and his throat before he pulled the trigger.If I took off my gloves, that is.The soldier and I make eye contact for one second through the long, loose waves of my pastel violet hair, and my limbs hum with irritation. I hardly need a brigade of full-fledged soldiers to find my way to the Council office. But I guess after eight years the administration still trusts me about as much as I trust them.The silence of my guards drags through me, pulling little pinches of fear from the edges of my mind. My reflection flashes in a small porthole as we pass, the blackness of space highlighting my long face and dotting my pale skin with the stars I long to return to. The hazy curve of Kronos is barely visible as we make our orbit, and I feel trapped—stuck in a way I’ll never get used to.The only thing that could make this situation worse is if Council decides to send me to Kronos. All my muscles pull in to try and crush the thought, but I haven’t been able to so much as dent it since I was summoned from my workshop.I’m going to be sent away. There’s no other explanation for why I have to stand before the Council three days before my birthday.I’ll be nineteen, officially an adult, and instead of giving me a placement, they may finally boot me out.Endless panels of smooth metal line hallways I travel every day, suddenly seeming smaller, more ominous as I force my feet forward. The lights hum in a hypnotizing rhythm overhead, mixing with the thud of our steps. We finally come to a door with a large red bar that reads RESTRICTED ACCESS in thick bold letters. The warning mixes with my nerves, and I fail all over again at trying to stamp out the flame of fear in my gut.The soldier on my left places a hand on the panel embedded into the wall. It flashes, beeps, and the door slides, forcing my mind open at the same time.Crackling memories pop behind my eyes, like a screen stuck between two video feeds, fighting for domination. Screaming fills my ears like static. I’m unable to take another step forward, and my thick-soled, knee-high boots skid on the grated floor. Electric current forces its way between my skin and uniform, crawling up my neck and into my hair.Both soldiers take out their Tase guns, widening their stances in case I lose it, which has happened before. Sometimes I can’t stop the images of my eleven-year-old-self being dragged through these same doors as electricity exploded along my struggling limbs. I push deep, shuddering breaths through my lungs as I try to gather up all this erratic energy, gesturing to the soldiers that I'm fine. The older I get, the less often I need to be subdued. I tip my chin to my chest, breathing slow like my trainer taught me.“They're waiting for you,” a soldier says, his voice strained but calm. Glancing at him again, his wary eyes center me. I can’t show fear in front of them.Setting my thin shoulders and lifting my sharp chin, I force down my feelings, swallowing them up and burying them in the darkest parts of me.We continue into the much cleaner halls of Administration, where the government officials of the Network and the military leaders of Athena run the powerful military base.Everything is bigger, brighter, and more spacious beyond the thick metal doors. My boots barely make a sound on the solid floor, the panels bolted in tight, unlike the loose plates of the regular halls with hissing pipes exposed underneath. Here, everything is neatly tucked away under a polished shine, like secret struggles kept in locked boxes, giving the illusion of an easy life. It makes me nervous.Two more sets of similar doors bring us to the Council office and everything in me wants to spin on my heel and book it back to my workshop. Too bad I’m surrounded.The soldiers stop at the threshold where metal turns to intricate tile, unable to follow me inside and unwilling to meet my eye.This can’t be good.My eyelids flutter as I enter the blindingly white domed room. Metal and glass touch every feature, like most of Athena, but not a single imperfection. No rust. No underlying staleness of recirculated air. Living in space makes any kind of resources precious, and the expensive or luxurious is only for the elite.“Helia,” the General of the Athenian Army addresses me. “So wonderful to see you.”Sitting at the center of a long curved glass table, a reflection of blue lights dance along his dark skin as the surface turns to a computer screen.“Hello, sir.” The crackling nerves under my skin are soothed by the warmth of his smile and the familiar wrinkles around his aging eyes. The General isn’t on the Council, but he’s the father of my best friend Eion. My shoulders unwind a little bit, knowing he’s here to advocate for me. I bet Eion forced him to. She’s the only person who can push him around.The rest of the Council sits four people on either side of the General. Five men and three women—elected from each of the fourteen stations in the Network’s fleet. I know most of the aging members by face but not name. The Council—along with high ranking officials—doesn’t mix with the staff, soldiers, and training recruits who fill the halls I’m allowed in.Because I was originally brought to Athena as a prisoner, I’ve been the center of a few of these meetings. Often they end in me vibrating with white hot hatred, gazing at the stars and wishing I was back home with my father, while they all argue about what to do with me.“Helia Langdon.” The woman next to the General speaks in a low bored tone, the pile of white hair swaying high on her head. “You’ve been called on today to discuss your future here on Athena.”I clasp my hands behind my back and swallow the vortex of nerves that swirl up my throat like bile.“I put in my application for the engineering department months ago.” I launch straight into my argument, knowing I only have a few minutes before they forget I'm here or that maybe I have some ideas about how I want to live my life. “I know I only put one department on my preferences, but I assumed with my particular… modifications… it was the only place for me.” Clearing my throat pushes down the terrified part of me that expects this is where they tell me I’m out; they’re sending me away now that I’m all grown up.“Why do you wish to work in engineering when you could train as a recruit? To speak of assumptions, we on the Council were under the impression you’d want to train.”“I’m sorry, Madame Councilwoman. I didn’t think with my past—” The words get stuck at the back of my throat, and the councilwoman waves her hand dismissively.“Do you not spend most of your time in the training quad fighting in the Cage?”She gestures to a computer screen at her fingertips. Files and photographs of me waver through the air, and my eyebrows pinch together. A looping video goes blurry and then in focus as the camera zooms. In it, I'm wearing a special gear-suit—headgear, gloves, and shoes—and engaged fully in the virtual simulation. It's weird to see myself from the outside like this, and I struggle to remember my argument.“I spend most of my time in my workshop, Madame. Building things. I do love to fight, but I can’t become a recruit. I’m a Mod. I would be a terrible soldier.”Why this wasn’t clear to them made my head fuzzy. Years of spinning memories played behind my eyes—all obvious indications that I could never be an Athenian Soldier—but the biggest and most glaring was my skin. It’s not the fact that I’m a genetically modified human; it’s that my touch can be lethal. Even getting clearance to fight virtually was a struggle, and now they want me to be a recruit?“I would think that becoming a soldier would be beneficial.” A black-haired man at the opposite end of the table speaks slowly, and it's painful to listen to, the words interjecting through my light-speed thoughts.“I’m not sure what you mean…” Mostly, I'm wondering how switching to a recruit is the reason I’m here when I’d been mentally preparing to make my case for not being thrown out into space to suffocate and die. Or worse, get sent to Kronos.“It’s clear, Helia, that you would be an asset—”The General stands abruptly, leaning over the desk like he does in his station addresses, stealing the attention of everyone in the room.“It’s clear, Glenand, that the girl isn’t interested in being a soldier. I’ve spoken at great length with her mentor, and we both advise the Council place her in Weapons, under the direct supervision of my daughter. It’s the safest place for everyone, and you know it. We’ve seen how the recruits treat her.”With each word, the General’s shoulders widen, and I’ve spent enough time around him to know there’s more to what’s happening than I understand. Exactly like I thought—I’m brought in to talk, and then no one lets me say anything. Sparks crackle under my uniform, and I stare at the wall to calm myself.“We’ve taken your recommendation into account General, and we believe this is a mistake.” Folding her hands on the glass table, Glenand purses her lips and challenges the General with a condescending glare.“She will not become a recruit,” the General says, his voice tilting into the commanding tone of the most powerful person on the entire station, maybe in all of the Network, next to the president, of course. The force of his tone sets me back a couple steps, and I want nothing more than to be in my workshop with the airlocks sealed, buried in a mountain of metal and grease. “It’s a ridiculous use of Council time to hold a full meeting to discuss the placement of one girl.”“We only wanted to interview her, General, as we often do with those we feel are better suited to a different department.”“I have never witnessed one of these interviews.”“You are never so personally invested in the future of any of our Recruits…” Glenand’s voice trails off with accusations, and the General’s features tilt into a dangerous glare.Frustration locks onto all my joints, and I open my mouth to interject, but the General’s voice booms over my thoughts.“I am personally invested in every citizen and soldier who resides on this station. Are you implying I’m exercising favoritism to—”“Excuse me?” I blurt out loudly, current fighting under my uniform. Everyone turns to me, and I silently chastise myself for being unable to keep my mouth closed. Especially when I’m angry. Especially when I could be out on my talisa with nothing. I have their attention now, I may as well argue. “What about what I want? I don’t want to be a soldier. I want to build. I want to fight, but for fun. For exercise. That’s all, Madame Councilwoman. I know I’m not technically a citizen, and I want to contribute, I do. But not as a soldier.”With a flip of his palm, the General gestures to me like he’s won the argument, and I’m glad I didn’t have to fight this one on my own. With fists I can fight. With words, not so much. Eight years of near solitude will do that to a person.“Unfortunately, Miss Langdon, the Council must sign off on all placements, no matter how you or the General feel about it. However, we did discuss this particular outcome and are willing to offer you a compromise. A split placement.”I don’t understand what a split placement means but a visceral protest starts in my knees and ends with a shaking head.“You work under Eion in the Weapons department and you attend Advanced Seminar with the new recruits. We understand your personal limitations, which is why you will train academically until further notice.”I turn over my hands, gloved and protected. “I can’t.”“This is non-negotiable, Recruit. I’m afraid you’re going to have to find a way.” Glenand taps at her desk, and the screens shut down. Scraping chair legs vibrate through my body as Council members stand and exit the round room through an alternate door. My mind scrambles, trying to find a way out of this.The best excuse I have is something I’ve never allowed myself to say—the real reason I ended up a prisoner on a military base. Speaking of it would not only cause a world of trouble for me, but also for those my father bribed to keep our secret, the General being one of them. His hard stare is on me now like I better not open my mouth. I know protecting his position is more important than protecting me, but it doesn't stop the small swell of abandonment that boils in the base of my stomach.“I’m sorry, Helia. I tried.” As he backs from the room, my hands clench into fists, forcing the hurt to anger.The same soldiers who brought me here are back at my sides, and the urge to hit one of them makes my fingers twitch.Thankfully I’m scheduled to fight today. At least I get to hitsomeone, even if it’s only virtual.Sign Up for the Quirks and Commas November newsletter to read CHAPTER TWO AND THREE!
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