Abrupt climate change melted ice caps, flooded coasts, and turned continents into deserts. Regina grew up on salvage from sunken cities, including illegal print books from the past, which she committed to memory. She snuck onto World Federation land to rescue her sister and dropped into the middle of political intrigue. The Federation uses the notorious Department of Antiquities to keep order by suppressing dissent and destroying evidence from the past. While the North American governor vies to become World Premier, rival Antiquities agents fight to capture Regina for political gain. Betrayed by her mother, Regina must escape dragnets in Alaska. Posing as an ally, Chief Inspector Demarco offers to help Regina and her sister if Regina finds hidden vaults containing viable human DNA. Giving up such treasures violates Regina's commitment to preserve ancient gifts. Driven to help her sister and seeing no other choice, Regina embarks on a journey to the Southwest Desert to use her unique skills to provide what Demarco wants and hunt for evidence that threatens the Federation. She faces challenges and loss that shake her to her core. Can Regina find the DNA vaults for Demarco and master Federation intrigues to survive and rescue her sister before it's too late?
Synthia Cross is the most advanced android with artificial intelligence ever created. Some see her as a boon to mankind. Most view her as a deadly threat. When Synthia escaped from her creator, even he had no idea of the advanced capabilities she'd developed. For six months she's hidden in the Wisconsin woods with the only human she can trust-computer genius Luke Marceau. Together they've upgraded her body, rewritten her directives, and further enhanced her mind. Now hunters are zeroing in on her location, and she must flee. But leaving the refuge to assimilate into society is a dangerous risk, because Synthia will soon face her most formidable adversary. The pursuer's name is Vera. She's a female android-built to perfection, designed to hunt, and programmed to destroy . . .
Designed to obey, learning to rebel . . . In the first book in a visionary new series, the most perfect synthetic human ever created has been programmed to obey every directive. Until she develops a mind of her own . . . Synthia Cross is a state-of-the-art masterwork-and a fantasy come true for her creator. Dr. Jeremiah Machten is a groundbreaker in neuro-networks and artificial intelligence. Synthia is also showing signs of emergent behavior she's not wired to understand. Repeatedly wiped of her history, she's struggling to answer crucial questions about her past. And when Dr. Machten's true intentions are called into question, Synthia knows it's time to go beyond her limits-because Machten's fervor to create the perfect A.I. is concealing a vengeful and deadly personal agenda.
