Angel’s Bargain is my first novel, currently seeking a publisher. It is planned as the first book of a trilogy. This story has sci-fi elements that tie together large-scale and personal conflicts. Readers can look forward to a book that is both emotionally-driven and philosophical, exploring questions of how best to live one’s own life, how best to help the world as a whole, and how those two concepts connect—or potentially, conflict. Read on to learn more about the story and characters.
Is there a price too high to pay for a chance to save the world? This question looms over Dr. Elizabeth Myers as she leads the scientific effort to transform a young woman into HUMAI, the Human Machine Interface, in the hope that her work will lead to a new path forward for humankind. The project carries inherent risks to the safety of its subject, and time puts Elizabeth’s conviction to the test. How far will she go for a chance to change the future? How many friends is she willing to lose along the way?
Dr. Myers and her team have surgically implanted cybernetic augmentations into HUMAI’s brain, giving her an array of unprecedented abilities. HUMAI can use her brain to communicate directly and effortlessly with any computers, and she can use computers’ processing power to supplement that of her own brain, allowing her to think dozens of times faster than any other human. These powers came at a great cost: the surgery that installed her first implants destroyed all memories of her previous life. The only life HUMAI knows is that of being a research subject.
Despite the loss of her old identity, HUMAI is a woman with a mind of her own. Endowed with great power and the means to rapidly improve herself, HUMAI often clashes with Dr. Myers as she pursues her own goals. She asserts herself in the research facility and beyond, seeking to gain influence and control over every facet of her life. Through instant metacognition, HUMAI is able to analyze her own thoughts in real time and suppress and control her emotions. Is it possible to shake the resolve of someone who can disable her own fear? Will HUMAI hold onto her humanity as she ascends to her superhuman potential?
The ramifications of HUMAI’s existence are felt far outside the walls of the lab. Jeremy Jordan, CEO of Jordan Advancements and employer of Dr. Myers, seeks to use the HUMAI project to further his own ends and place himself at the top of the social ladder. Jordan’s peers watch as new technologies made possible by HUMAI push his company to the forefront of the tech industry. Is Jordan’s newfound dominance here to stay, or is he standing atop a house of cards?
Maggie Hayes is an independent journalist presented with unique opportunity: a chance to interview the woman at the center of one of Jeremy Jordan’s big projects. Maggie struggles to keep her head held high in a world where people are being beaten down everywhere she looks. In HUMAI, Maggie might find a new source of hope and a chance at a brighter future—for herself and her little sister, at least. But how much better can your life get when all you see is the world crumbling around you? Can Maggie prove that her actions matter, despite everything?
Follow these characters and more as their journeys intersect. Everyone is looking for hope in the aftermath and expectation of loss. When the world begins to unravel, they’ll all work to protect what matters to them most.
Austin Williams 
Leave a comment