Tainted: Are You Ready to be Tested? YA Novel Debut Takes Readers Deep...Underground, that is! ARC-1

English: asteroid 1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I had a hard time envisioning the ARC. It seemed to be so huge, so comprehensive, yet so inclusive that it felt that it had been purposely designed for its present use.

But, how could that be? After all, nobody could have foreseen that an asteroid was coming that would totally destroy the earth as well as lingering radiation that prevented returning to the surface of the planet.

Or could it be that the violent nature of humanity had led some individuals to predict that some catastrophe was bound to happen and designs and actually building the huge refuge had been in the works for years... Tainted doesn't say... unless Elle's teacher had lectured on it, but she and the other students weren't listening...LOL...

After all, the history of the world had been demolished along with most residents except for the few who had been accepted into the ARC--Asteroid Refugee Compound...

Readers enter the story 15 years after everybody had entered the ARC and been closed off...completely

Tainted

By Alexandra Moody

A despondent sigh escapes
 my mouth. It’s no use. I 
can’t  stop thinking about
 it—about her.
About losing the closest
thing I have to family in this
 run-down,
worn-out fallout shelter.
~~~

There was a time when I was afraid of being tested. It wasn’t the jab of the needle that scared me—that was nothing. Being taken away without any notice and without any goodbyes? Now, that was something to fear. It’s been years since I’ve worried about my annual testing. When you’ve lost as many people as I have, you come to terms with the possibility you too might be found tainted and taken away—but today is different. I look down at the glass cuff that encases my wrist and my heartbeat quickens as I see the time . It’s later than I thought. Only twenty minutes until the appointment now. 

My quarters are down the far end of the North Wing—
 or the ‘forsaken corner’ as I more fondly think
 of it. It’s nearly always empty and this evening
 is no different. With worn-out paint in the hallways ,
 desolate grey concrete floors, the strange smell
 of damp and rust, and darkened light fixtures
 that haven’t been replaced in years, it’s no surprise
 nobody wants to live here. But for some of us ,
 especially orphans like Quinn and me,
 it’s the perfect place to be left undisturbed.
~~~

I 
rip my gaze away from the glowing blue numbers displayed across the CommuCuff’s surface and attempt to focus on Ms. Matthews, who looks more like a relic of history than a teacher of it. She paces in front of the whiteboard, lecturing on the day of impact yet again. You wouldn’t think it’d be necessary to teach us about the asteroid that doomed us all. It’s fairly safe to say after living down here in the ARC for fifteen years we’ve all become experts. Yet , there she stands critically breaking down the social ramifications of forcing a select few people from society down into a fallout shelter. God, I hope there isn’t another test on this.

~~~

Can you imagine it?! There is no place you can go where there will not be the same people, your neighbors in the ARC. Sure there may be some you don't really know, but, as far as you know, they are the only people in the world that are still alive...

There is no sun, no green grass to walk or sit on...nothing but scorched earth that can be seen from an observation area...

Still, after 15 years, everybody has adjusted, as much as possible, to the situation they are all in...

Except that, there is still a chance that you could have been tainted from that early exposure... You are routinely tested. When somebody registers as being tainted, they disappear! Nobody knows what happens after that!

Elle is now 17; having become an orphan. Quinn is her roommate and has become the closest thing to family that she has. It is Quinn's turn to be tested...Elle is so afraid that she, too, might disappear and never been seen again. Can she endure losing any more loved ones?! She's started searching for Sebastion, also a close friend, hoping to have him with her in case there is an official waiting rather than Quinn returning to their room...

The officials in the ARC are cruel beyond belief and the Council which controls activities there seem to be corrupt...and so secretive...


‘Quinn, I know that face. What’s wrong?’ She pulls herself to the edge of the bed and dangles her legs down over the side. ‘You’re probably going to think I’m crazy, well, crazier than normal. But people have been talking,’ she says quietly. ‘There hasn’t been anyone taken in over six months…’
 ‘So? That’s a good thing right?’ 
She shakes her head. ‘I’m not so sure. I’ve been hearing lots of people are about to be taken. I’d dismissed it as idle ARC gossip , but today my testing felt off, like something was different. It was almost as though they wanted my result to come back tainted.’ 
She bends her head over to look down at her hands fidgeting in her lap . ‘I don’t know. The whole thing just has me worried. I have a feeling something bad is going to happen…’ 
‘There’s nothing for you to worry about. You aren’t tainted. You won’t have to worry for another year,’ I say, in an attempt to cheer her up.
 ‘You’re right . I’m being silly.’ She laughs lightly at herself, but the sound is stilted and there’s a tension across her forehead. She’s visibly still upset. ‘So, wanna hear about my date with Dr. Delicious?’ she asks, wiggling her eyebrows at me. 
I laugh and go sit at the end of her bed. I’m so happy she’s okay I’d be willing to hear her talk about anything. As she talks enthusiastically about the date though, I find myself focusing more on what she said before. For something to unnerve Quinn like that , and affect her usual chirpy self for even a second, it must be serious.

~~~

Elle had once lived with Sebastian's family but two of them had been taken. Now Sebastian and his father were the only ones remaining. It will be quite obvious to readers that Sebastian is in love with Elle, but wants, more, to remain her friend. He knows that Elle is afraid of losing any more of those she has loved... Still, there have been some adventurous times for the two as they've found their way into places that, shall we say, were off-limits? Sebastian was constantly trying to find out what was really going on, where the "tainted" people went or if they were still alive. Surely, they wouldn't just take them to the surface and leave them to die?!

There is another older male friend of Elle that works for the Council. They had met accidentally and had formed somewhat of a friendship, but then he would soon disappear. Sebastian was worried about a relationship with him, especially since he was so much older than Elle...

Soooo, you should have guessed by now that, no matter where humans live, there is always interpersonal relationships at the forefront of their lives. As teens, they were afraid, perhaps more than in the real world, of getting involved with someone or hoping for a longer relationship... After all, one of them could be taken at any time...

It's hard not to share more about what is going on, but I'd better stop, with just one cliff-hanger... One of them is taken!

The second book, Talented, is already out. I thought I'd mention that because this first book certainly will leave you wanting to move on and learn what has happened. The author has split the book perfectly and you'll learn enough about what has happened to Quinn, Elle and Sebastian--just enough to tease and tempt you...

Personally, I wouldn't advise reading Talented if you have not already read Tainted. This first book is the foundation and no matter what happens in the second book, readers will lose by not starting at the beginning. I was left with lots of questions, simply because the author has kept us in suspense for so long. Still, watching the developing relationships as they all begin to realize that something strange is happening, even for this very unique place,

makes this romantic suspense at its finest... I thoroughly enjoyed it, so for those adults who admit to reading YA novels...go for it! Young adults are bound to connect with those who are what you might call...lost in space... Did the asteroid knock earth out of its earlier location? They can't see stars, no sun? Soooo many possibilities! The author has created a fascinating first novel! Enjoy!

GABixlerReviews

ALEXANDRA MOODY is an Australian author who currently resides in London. She studied Law and Commerce in her hometown, Adelaide, before going on to spend several years living abroad in Canada and the UK. She is a serious dog-lover, double-black-diamond snowboarder and has a love/hate relationship with the gym. She can often be found on Twitter at@alexandranmoody and facebook.com/alexandramoodyauthor.

Spark by John Twelve Hawks - Ingenious! Imaginative! Excitingly Unique!

When I was in the clinic, Dr. Noland told me about a
logical problem created by a Greek philosopher named
Zeno that suggested that the buckshot would never hit
its target. The buckshot would take half the time to
get halfway there, but then it had to go halfway to the
next interval, and halfway after that, and so on. Since
there appeared to be an infinite number of these
smaller and smaller distances, the buckshot would
never arrive.
I thought about Zeno's paradox for several days until
Dr. Noland gave me a solution. A distance composed
of an infinite number of finite moments is not infinite.
If the distance between the shotgun barrel and Micky
Sicky's flesh was fifteen feet, it doesn't make a difference
how many times you divide it into fractions; it's still
fifteen feet. This was helpful to me at the clinic because
I realized that no matter how many times my thoughts
divided into a multitude of more thoughts, I could
still make a single choice and function in the world.
And this is what happened in the alleyway. The
buckshot burst through the paradox and hit my target
in his left leg.
~~~

I got out of the van but left the door open. The shotgun was on the driver's seat, the stock poking a few inches out of the rolled-up throw rug.
"Hey..."
Micky appeared at the end of the alleyway and began walkiing toward the van. Picking up the throw rug, I cradled it in my arms as if it was a wounded dog and approached him slowly.
As the target drew closer my right hand thrust itself into the center of the rug, grabbed the stock of the shotgun, and let its concealment fall away.
My legs took two quick steps and then--
My finger squeezed the trigger and then--
The shotgun fired and buckshot cut through the air.
 Micky Sicky fell backward, then screamed with pain and started rolling around on the dirt. I took a few steps forward and pointed the shotgun at his head. He had lost control of his bladder and I found the smell unpleasant.
"Be quiet," I said.
Micky's mouth opened and closed like a Chinatown carp just pulled from the water tank. But he stopped making noises.
"You killed a little white dog," I said.
"Fuckin' bastard! You just shot me!"
I cocked the second barrel. "You have three seconds to say one truthful statement. Did you kill a little white dog?"
"It was nothing," Micky whimpered. "Just a joke, bruv. I swear. I'm sorry."
"Repeat after me: Joey was loved by the angels in heaven."
"Fuckin' hell!"
"Say it. If you want to live."
"Joey...love...by angels."
"Good. Remember that. If I see you in this neighborhood again. I'll take a blowtorch and burn off you ears."
I extended the shotgun like a walking stick and shot Micky in the right leg. He was still screaming as I got in the van and drove away. Although I had disobeyed Miss Holquist, my actions had established two facts:
1. I would no longer be distracted and--
2. I knew that my weapon worked.

~~~

Spark

By John Twelve Hawks

I love unique! And the main character in Spark is one unique dude! He's an Assassin... That's not the unique part though, as we know...  Jacob Underwood is dead...or, rather, he thinks he's dead. He has been transformed as the result of a motorcycle accident, being transformed by losing a substantial part of his brain. As a result, he now has some characteristics that are considered anti-social. He doesn't like to be touched. His thinking process has significantly changed and he needs to have a basic set of rules given to him upon which he can function. He eats or drinks nothing but a liquid food replacement and carries a case around him when he 

travels. Most importantly Jacob has lost most of his emotions. He found a book on the Internet which showed what various emotions look like, so, if he's curious, he'll pull out pictures of faces to match up against an individual to determine what he might be feeling. Most of his

interactions involve the show of fear... As you may have also, I immediately thought of the main character of Scorpion, a program I really enjoy! 

At first, his doctors and then his employer assumed that he must be told exactly what to do, so when he has been given an assignment, he is given exactly what gun(s) will be used, where he will stay, etc., But what readers will watch is that he appears to be more aware and intelligent than recognized. He uses the computer and learns more about the person he has been assigned to kill. And when he gets to the location, he investigates and plans exactly how and what he will do. And then he does the job, quickly and efficiently and leaves...

I have a Spark that creates my thoughts.
The Spark is bright and pure and trans-
cendent, but it's held captive within a
Shell of flesh and bone.
The woman in the green shimmery dress
and all the other Human Units walking
around New York City feel emotions
because their Spark is attached to their
Shell.
But all my attachments have melted away.
Yes, I can breathe and swallow and fire
a handgun. In many ways, I resemble a
human being. But there is nothing inside
me. I'm filled with darkness.
~~~

Jacob has been diagnosed with Cotard's Syndrome, and recognizes that he has a Spark within him, but the rest of him is dead...               

I turned away from my target, walked five blocks east to Gravesend Park, and tossed the gun into a storm drain. Perhaps one day a city sewer worker might find this
artifact--rusty and covered with mud--but it would have no connection with my identity... Before my Transformation, I  lived like an ordinary Human Unit in an Upper East Side apartment with cooking pots and self-assembled teak-veneer  furniture. Nowadays I try to own only one object in each
category: a chair and a table, a bed and blanket, a cup and a spoon... After locking the entrance door, I removed all my  clothes and placed them in nylon bags. Everything worn that
evening would be washed or dry-cleaned at a laundry... Within twenty-four hours, all the invisible burned and unburned particles from the fired bullets would disappear. I took a shower, pulled on a sweatshirt and warm-up  pants, and  returned to the main room. rule #4 states that  I must supply my Shell with a minimum of two thousand calories a day, so I opened a bottle of a nutritional drink developed for the elderly  called ComPlete, pured it in the cup and mixd in a tablespoon of a coarse fiber supplement. i have a good memory, but don't like to re-experience the past. If thoughts are not controlled, then each remembered experience becomes an alternative reality. When I thought about shooting Peter Stetsko, my mind brought up different details--the sound of my shoes walking  across the street and the vision of the first bullet shattering the side window. But these memories didn't generate feelings of tegret or happiness...
~~~

The only real ongoing connections for Jacobs are his two Shadows, the latest versions of personal computers. Edward and Laura are speech-recognition programs connected to a computer with reactive intelligence. Jacob made Edward to discuss and talk with him something like an English Butler, while Laura has been more intimately designed...or perhaps I should say, more as a friend... Readers will learn much about that type of interaction with the computers, but the main advancement at that time is that everybody is watched by the EYE!

...so I decided to calm my agitation by visiting the pedestrian
walkway that runs across the Brooklyn Bridge. Two granite
and limestone towers hold a pair of massive cables that
display catenary curves--a three-dimensional display of a
hyperbolic cosine function. Attached to the curves is a
web of diagonal and vertical cables that hold up the bridge
platforms. When I stand at the center point and look
outward, it appears as if the sky is divided into clearly
marked sections. Randomness disappears and I'm able to
sort through my wayward thoughts and place them in
different boxes...

Every citizen on the bridge knew that the EYE system was
necessary for a safe and secure society. And there was a
specific reason for this new technology--the death and
violence caused by the Day of Rage...

I was a patient at the Ettinger Clinic on the Day or Rage.
The first news flash was about bombs exploding at Eton
Coillege...quickly followed by...an explosion at the Dalton
School... As the day went on, more reports came...

~~~

 And are now fully aware of everything being known...and also some humans have already been replaced with the latest artificial intelligence available for, especially, low-level positions... But that's not what has happened to Jacob... After being in the hospital and retrained, he was hired by a special services group for a major corporation. Miss Holquist is Jacob's boss, but most of their interaction is by email or text... Normally one job is completed and then he returns to his apartment, back to his normal life. Recently, however, she had an emergency request for him to take another job. Jacob reacts negatively to something out of the ordinary...

Normally, I would be given a few weeks
of free time before my next assignment.
Miss Holquist's unexpected request made
my Spark bounce around inside my Shell...

There is much going on in this novel, but I admit I was so fascinated with the main character that I paid extra attention to his characteristics... For instance, he would picture colors to help him understand an object or a human... The assassins are quickly handled and readers don't get the full impact of what has happened. Except when one of the other assassins, who is sadistic, has a job to handle... Be prepared...

It was interesting to see that Jacob had been assigned a different type of job, because his boss had noticed how good he was and felt he could do more than...just efficiently kill. So when an employee of the corporation disappeared, having stolen some important information, Jacob was given the assignment to find her...

Jacob was now required to think more on his own and he had to interact with people in a conversational/social situation. And then there came a time when he began to not understand what he was dealing with...things like black money, killing a neighbor's dog, which Jacob's felt was the highest order in the animal hierarchy with humans below that, of course... and then below them, the dead, where he was... There are many graphical illustrations inserted through the book which help readers understand the mind of Jacob as he saw himself within the world. But as he works on this latest job, he realizes that he's changing... All of a sudden, I perked up, anxious to see how far he had made from his automaton type of role...And that's when I started to have fun, watching Jacob, intuitively knowing what he would be doing as he began thinking for himself again... I loved it! If you enjoy unique, totally unexpected tales of the future and with regard to medical issues, do check this out!


GABixlerReviews

JOHN TWELVE HAWKS is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Traveler, The Dark River, and The Golden City.

This section of the site is for readers who are curious about my life and personal choices. I’ll try to answer some of the questions I’ve been asked during the last ten years.
I was born in the United States. I’m a father (The Dark River was dedicated to my children). I’m a Buddhist who has meditated for most of my life.
I’m not a recluse living in a mountain hideaway. I’m a fairly restless person with friends all over the world. Right now, I spend time in New York City, Berlin and rural Ireland.
Yes, it’s true: I’ve never owned a television. But I occasionally watch an entire season of one show on my computer.
Various bloggers have decided that I’m a famous person who is writing under another name. None of these theories are correct, and they are usually invented by people who have never read my books.
When The Golden City was published, I encouraged readers to “be me” for an evening. People all over the world organized “I am John Twelve Hawks” events and many of the videos are still up on YouTube.
Will I ever go public? Perhaps I might — if there was a reason for that decision. At this moment, I like my life the way it is.
Readers with specific questions can ask me via my verified Facebook page.
People interested in the political ideas expressed in my books, should take a look at wespeakforfreedom.com. Occasionally, I join online chats on this UK-based website..
Best,
John Hawks