Ava Altair grew up reading fantasy and science fiction novels. She graduated from Florida Tech with a BS in Science Education – Physics and a minor in Computational Mathematics. She taught as an AP Physics teacher for five years in Florida. She now lives in Oregon, teaching horseback riding lessons and managing the stables with her mom. She enjoys hanging out and talking about science concepts and story ideas with her dad.

What it is to be human doesn't apply anymore. The surface of the Earth has been poisoned by years of abuse and now most life lives beneath the waves of the ocean. Over the last 500 years, humans have become fragmented and specialized by genetic manipulation, but two main factions exist in the Undersea. The hybrids, a race that continues to genetically modify themselves to climb the social ladder, and the humans, the unmodified organic race that makes up the lowest tier of society. 

Alex, a Delta Six hybrid, finds an unlikely companion in a human man, Jack, while on a mission to steal the Athena file. Alex withholds the file to elicit help from Jack and they set out on an adventure across the Surface. Their relationship is tenuous until a device mysteriously links them together. Now, running from Alphas, an elite group of hybrid assassins, Alex and Jack must weather the hostile surface of the planet to reach their common goal. They soon find they can't both have the thing they want most, but also can't seem to let each other go.

FLUX

Once up the stairs, the women shuffled back the way Jack and his men had first come. Jack kept a look out over his shoulder for any signs of life. It was strange no one had detected them yet. He'd never been on a mission where they'd gotten away clean.


Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw a dark shadow. He spun and aimed his pistol at the corridor. The tall man paused to look at Jack then turned to look down the hallway, too. He remained silent and they both listened for movement. Only the shuffling of feet from the women echoed through the hall.


Jack hesitated for a moment, then silently pulled another matching pistol from the holster under his right arm and handed it over to him. "Protect the women. I'm going to check it out."


The man nodded. He checked the pistol before he aimed it ahead of him. He walked backward slowly, following the women while keeping an eye on Jack's back.


Chapter 57: "Rescue Part 2"