I, Cassandra | Chapter 7 | Another Ryan

She is a prisoner who can alter reality. He is a dead soldier brought back to life as a sentient machine.2086. In a dying world divided into a luxurious enclave for the super-rich in the far north of Canada and Greenland, and the billions left to survive outside its impenetrable walls, Cassandra’s ability to alter reality marks her as a valuable asset to Global Command.Lost in a terrorist attack to the United Freedom Fighters, she is discovered in the seedy underworld of London by an elite soldier who does not learn who she is until far too late, and he too becomes an asset owned by faceless powers.Resurrected as a near-immortal machine, his first mission is to extract her from London and return her to the ones intent to use her gift to give the rich a second chance at life in a new world.As the world collapses into its death throes, he fights to protect the one he loves, to save her from what is to come, and to give her a second chance . . . no matter the cost or how long he has to wait.A forbidden love affair that transcends time, the end of the world, and what it means to be human.Honorable Mention - Writer’s Digest 9th Annual Self-Published e-Book Awards 2021Genre: Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Cyber-Punk, Dark RomanceKeywords: chosen one, collapse of society, greenland and nunavut, billionaire bunker, forbidden love, cryogenicsComps: Elysium meets Altered Carbon“A stunningly innovative sci-fi novel.” — The BookLife Prize Critic’s Review“Surprising and unexpected.” — Writer’s Digest“The scale of I, Cassandra is truly awesome.” — C.N. Vair, Author“Stunning SF on a mythic scale.” — Kirkus Reviews“A believable extrapolation of our current situation.” — Judge, 9th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published E-Book AwardsContent warnings: violence, human trafficking, rape, suicide, drug use, languageSpice Level: 3/5 At least one intimate scene with the reader present, euphemistic language for act and body parts. Non-pornographic descriptions. No smutty language.© E A Carter 2021 All Rights Reserved © Michal Karcz Cover ArtExcerpt from Chapter 7:November 2086It’s raining outside. Its gentle cadence soothes my heart, softening the jagged claws of dread burrowing into me, reminding me Maddox will soon leave me alone, trapped in this festering cesspool of a city. Morose, I gaze at the window, following the passage of the rainwater down the cracked panes. Maddox’s grip tightens around me as he shifts closer from behind. A kiss, soft, against my neck.“You awake,” he asks, quiet, his voice husky from sleep.I nod and turn to face him. He strokes my face, tender, his eyes moving over me, drinking in the sight of me, memorising me. Every time he does this. Looks at me like it’s the last time he will ever see me. I hate it, because I’m afraid it is. I close my eyes.“Blue,” he says, pressing a kiss against my brow, “I am going to get you out of here. For good.”I open my eyes. Never once has he talked like this before. “How?” I ask.“I have food credits, been saving up since I met you. Used all my bonuses. It’s a lot.” He pauses and looks at the window, then back at me. “Those guys at the club, they’re thugs. Scum like that can always be bought.”Thugs. If only he knew. A slash of guilt rips through me for my deception, for what I have stolen from him. He trusts me. He thinks I’m just a bartender in a grotty bar run by gangsters. I force a smile, hoping it’s convincing. Zee is going to lose his s**t. As soon as Maddox makes his offer, he’s a dead man. He might be a GC Delta Force captain, but I belong to Zee. Everyone knows it—no one more than I.Buy the bookI’ve been using ElevenLabs for my audiobook and I love it. If you use my link to sign up, I get a commission which helps support my work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit eacarter.substack.com/subscribe