Mandarin Pith

by R.C. Ducantlin

A bunch of dead security thugs is just another day in the life. Aydin doesn’t want to go back to his life as a counter-insurgent, humping a pack in the desert with his forward fire team. But, he often thinks, life was simpler when you knew everyone was probably the enemy.Allison screwed up everything, and she’s not saying why. The Service gave her the secondary mission to deal with the Chinese. Pops hinted at the deals withing deals. Phil keeps everyone talking to everyone else. Aydin spends too much time head-down on his computer, looking for clues to connect the dots.Aydin’s dark mind tried to sugarcoat the week. Handing over the A good thing. Not getting killed by the Chinese A good thing. Real-world successful test of the automated ranging and fire A good thing. Collecting two-fiddy very large and keeping the core A good thing.With so many good things, Allison and Phil wondered by Aydin’s mood darkened. Already introspective, he got worse.Aydin and Phil’s core code can turn mediocre facial recognition AI into a foolproof tool. With his algorithm, every face posted to TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, or anywhere in the Cloud, is guaranteed identification. Sitting at a traffic light, did you ever wonder what the cameras were doing with your image?The Russians want the code. They send one of Aydin and Phil’s regrets to get it. Sending the Russian Fighting Potter was more to intimate Aydin than it was to demand the advanced code.Can Aydin, with his friends, Phil, and Pops, solve the maze and find a way out before everyone is dead? Or worse, someone combines advanced facial recognition with foolproof automated fire control?If you are a fan of contemporary crime Think The Circle meets The Maltese Falcon, with a touch of The Blade Runner, and pick up a copy of Mandarin Pith.

Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2020

About the author

Two people sparked my interest in reading in high school: A close friend and an instructor. The instructor took an interest in the education of a boy he once called “The rebel without a clue.” He helped me to learn the value of an enjoyable book.

The instructor required me to read exciting historical novels for academic credit. Frank Norris, Leon Uris, and Ken Follett inspire and fuel my love of history. My lifelong friend encouraged me to read Frank Herbert and J. R. R. Tolkien. I became addicted to science fiction and fantasy.

I was born into a military family. Following the military tradition was logical. However, after four years of “yes, sir” and scraping the wax off floors, I decided there must be more fun in a corporate career.
After forty-plus years of work experience across the globe, I landed in Minnesota.

After forty-plus years of work experience across the globe, I landed in Minnesota.

Reviews

[Lisa Ellsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series of vignettes about a young boy who grew up succeeding at reaching his full potential!