The Thames Protocol: Perfect Care. Perfect Efficiency. Perfect Murder.

by Sebastian Reth

The machine was built to save lives. The hospital was built to hide them.

In the crumbling Victorian wing of Thames Hospital, the future has arrived. Orry, the eighteen-billion-dollar AURA-9 Medibot, is a miracle of modern efficiency designed to optimize patient care. He sees everything. He records everything. And he has started to notice that the math doesn't add up.

Samantha Thorne, a ruthless corporate auditor for Nutrix Biomed, is sent to the Manaaki Wing to investigate a series of "anomalous data" spikes. To the staff, she is just a woman with a heart condition. In reality, she is a "Fixer" sent to scrub a potential liability.

But Sam isn't a stranger to this hospital. Sixteen years ago, on a storm-lashed night, she lost her newborn daughter in these very halls—a tragedy overseen by the charismatic and ambitious Medical Director, Dr. Alastair Vance.

When a massive cyclone cuts the hospital off from the outside world, the power fails, and the magnetic locks engage. Trapped in the dark with a staff that is slowly being picked off one by one, Sam realizes that Orry isn't glitching—he’s testifying.

The machine has found the "Night Club." It has found the "Gray Zone." And deep in the basement, it has found the heartbeat of a girl who was supposed to be dead.

Sometimes, the architecture doesn't just hold secrets. It hunts them.

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312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 3, 2026

Reviews

[Agnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orry is one of the most thoughtful narrators I’ve encountered in science fiction. His observations are neutral on the surface, yet filled with meaning underneath. The way he notices heart rate changes, silences, and inconsistencies made me feel like I was reading between the lines of human behavior. It’s fascinating to watch him develop a sense of responsibility without ever becoming sentimental.

[Agnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The patients are written with real care and dignity. Each one represents a different kind of vulnerability, and none of them feel like plot devices. Arthur’s confusion, Leo’s restlessness, Chloe’s fear, and Elena’s stillness all linger in very different ways. The book never exploits their suffering it simply refuses to look away from it.

[Isabella Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The setting is masterfully used. The aging hospital feels like a physical manifestation of ethical decay functional on the surface, broken underneath. Every malfunction, blind spot, and ignored signal reinforces the idea that neglect doesn’t always come from malice, but from indifference sustained over time.

[Adam Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got under my skin in a quiet, unsettling way. Following Orry’s perspective inside the decaying Thames Hospital felt intimate and eerie at the same time. The contrast between cold clinical efficiency and very human suffering is handled beautifully. I found myself getting emotionally attached to a machine, which I didn’t expect at all. The scenes with Arthur and Chloe were especially powerful, showing how fragile people become when systems stop seeing them as human.

[Tim Bryson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book feels less like something you read and more like something you slowly inhabit. The perspective of Orry creates a strange intimacy you’re seeing people at their most vulnerable through a lens that is precise, observant, and slowly learning what compassion actually means. The quiet moments mattered most to me: the pauses, the observations that go unspoken, and the way small choices carry enormous moral weight.

[Charlotte Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book stayed with me in a way I didn’t expect. Long after finishing it, I kept thinking about Orry and the quiet weight of his awareness. There’s something deeply unsettling about seeing humanity through a system designed to measure, categorize, and optimize it. Orry’s observations feel neutral at first, but gradually become emotional simply because of what he witnesses and what he’s unable to stop.

[Josephine Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I appreciated most about this book is how quietly confident it is. It doesn’t try to impress with spectacle or overexplain its ideas. Instead, it trusts the reader to notice patterns, silences, and contradictions. Through Orry’s perspective, we’re shown how systems can function perfectly while still failing the people inside them. That realization builds slowly, and when it hits, it’s devastating.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What stood out most for me was the atmosphere. The hospital isn’t just a setting — it feels alive, damp, tired, and complicit. Orry’s growing awareness creates this slow-burn tension where you know something is deeply wrong long before it’s said out loud. The ethical questions around care, control, and silence stayed with me long after I finished reading.

[Brownx Cinematic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the story explores empathy through an artificial intelligence. Orry notices details the humans overlook, not because he’s emotional, but because he’s paying attention. Moments like adjusting the radiator for Arthur or silently protecting Chloe were incredibly moving. It’s rare to see compassion portrayed so subtly and effectively.

[Adam Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book doesn’t rush anything, and that’s a strength. The pacing mirrors the hospital routine — repetitive, controlled, and quietly oppressive. As Orry begins to question authority, the tension builds naturally. Dr. Vance is one of the most unsettling antagonists I’ve read in a long time because he believes he’s doing the right thing.

[Mr John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thames Protocol is thoughtful science fiction that feels uncomfortably real. The idea that data can be used to help or harm depending on who controls it is explored in a very grounded way. Elena’s storyline was heartbreaking, especially once you realize she’s more aware than anyone believes. That reveal hit hard.

[Kenny Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me thinking about modern healthcare, technology, and how easily vulnerable people can be ignored when systems prioritize outcomes over individuals. The ending didn’t give easy answers, which I appreciated. It’s haunting, intelligent, and deeply human despite being told through a machine’s eyes.

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book creeps up on you. At first, I thought I was reading a slow, atmospheric sci-fi story about a hospital and an AI unit. Somewhere along the way, it turned into a deeply human story about power, silence, and who gets believed. Orry’s observations feel painfully honest, especially when he notices things the staff choose to ignore.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What struck me was how realistic the power dynamics feel. The hospital isn’t run by cruelty, but by systems, routines, and authority that no one questions anymore. Dr. Vance is especially chilling because he never raises his voice his control comes from confidence and legitimacy. Watching Orry slowly recognize the difference between protocol and care was deeply unsettling and deeply compelling.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book rewards patience. The slow pacing allows the environment and characters to sink in, and by the time the emotional stakes become clear, you’re already trapped inside the story. The hospital feels oppressive not because of dramatic events, but because of what’s normalized there. That realism made the story hit much harder than a more sensational approach ever could.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most impressive aspects of this book is how it builds tension without relying on constant action. The anxiety comes from knowing that something is wrong and watching it be ignored or rationalized. Orry’s internal conflicts mirror what many people feel when they see injustice but aren’t sure how or if they’re allowed to intervene.

[Loveth Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theme of memory is handled beautifully. What is recorded, what is erased, and what is deliberately forgotten become central questions. Orry’s relationship with memory feels almost sacred, especially in a place where forgetting is built into the system. That contrast gave the story emotional depth I wasn’t expecting.

[Clara Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book asks difficult questions without offering easy answers. Is obedience moral if it causes harm? Can neutrality itself be a form of violence? These ideas are woven into the story naturally through Orry’s experiences rather than spelled out. I finished the book thinking about real-world institutions and how often efficiency replaces empathy.

[Chloe A · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the end of the book, I realized how emotionally invested I had become without even noticing it happening. Orry’s quiet determination, the unresolved tension, and the lingering sense of unease stayed with me long after I closed the book. This is thoughtful, unsettling science fiction that prioritizes humanity over spectacle, and it’s all the stronger for it.

[Cinematic Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this book powerful is its restraint. It doesn’t rely on dramatic twists or exaggerated conflict. Instead, it shows how harm often happens slowly, under the guise of routine and authority. The hospital becomes a symbol of institutional blindness, and watching Orry learn the difference between compliance and conscience is both heartbreaking and enlightening.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself emotionally attached to the smallest moments — a change in breathing, a delayed response, a quiet room that feels wrong. The author understands that suffering isn’t always loud. Often, it’s quiet, procedural, and hidden behind policies. That realism is what made the story feel so authentic and disturbing.

[Tracy Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orry is not written as a “humanized” AI in the typical sense. He doesn’t suddenly become emotional or rebellious. Instead, his growth is subtle and logical, which makes it feel more believable. His empathy develops because he notices patterns, inconsistencies, and pain and that makes his moral awakening even more compelling

[Milla William · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the strongest aspects of the book is how it portrays authority. Dr. Vance doesn’t feel like a villain in the traditional sense. He feels like someone who genuinely believes in the system he enforces, which makes him far more dangerous. The book explores how harm can be justified through language like “efficiency” and “best outcomes.

[Lauren Adams]

The patients are the emotional heart of this story. Each one is portrayed with dignity and individuality, even when the system tries to reduce them to data points. Their presence reminds the reader what’s truly at stake. I appreciated how the book never turns their suffering into spectacle it treats it with seriousness and respect.

[Robert Rahman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book that gives you comfort or closure. Instead, it gives you awareness. It asks you to sit with discomfort and question systems you may have once trusted. By the end, I felt changed as a reader — more cautious, more empathetic, and more aware of how easily humanity can be lost in the pursuit of order

[Rielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captures something many stories miss: how cruelty often hides behind professionalism. The hospital staff aren’t monsters; they’re tired, procedural, and obedient. That’s what makes the environment so unsettling. Orry’s increasing awareness exposes the emotional cost of that obedience, especially when care becomes something that must be justified instead of assumed.

[Madison Pafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this felt like watching a moral line being crossed again and again not in dramatic leaps, but in tiny steps no one stops to question. Orry’s role as an observer gives the story a haunting quality. He sees everything, understands more than he’s allowed to admit, and carries the burden of knowing when silence itself becomes harmful.

[Deborah Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The emotional power of this book comes from its patience. It lingers on moments most stories would skip: routine checks, quiet rooms, delayed responses. Those moments build an atmosphere of tension that feels real and oppressive. By the time the stakes fully emerge, the reader already feels complicit, having watched the same things Orry has.

[Book Clubs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orry’s development is one of the most believable explorations of artificial intelligence I’ve read. His sense of care doesn’t come from emotion but from consistency noticing who is ignored, who is silenced, and who is prioritized. That makes his moral awakening feel earned and deeply unsettling. He doesn’t “become human”; he becomes responsible.

[Adams Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

What stayed with me long after finishing the book was the question of accountability. When harm is distributed across a system, who is responsible? The book refuses to simplify that question. Instead, it shows how authority, language, and policy work together to protect those at the top while erasing those at the bottom.